ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: row · branch · craft · hide · squash · bound · mouse · net

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. row — a line
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. squash — to crush
  9. bound — obliged
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bound — certain
  12. craft — a skill
  13. net — after costs
  14. craft — boats
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. row — to paddle
  17. squash — the sport
  18. bound — tied together
  19. branch — a division
  20. net — in sport
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. row — a quarrel

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com