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: patient · net · fork · fall · branch · bulb · mate · press

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. net — for catching
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. net — after costs
  6. fall — to drop
  7. mate — to breed
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. fall — to drop
  10. branch — a division
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. bulb — for light
  13. net — in sport
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fall — the season
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. press — a publisher
  18. mate — a friend
  19. bulb — for light
  20. press — to push
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. press — newspapers
  23. mate — a partner
  24. fork — a garden tool

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