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: pass · roll · rash · can · branch · net · mine · straw

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. branch — a division
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — a series
  5. can — a tin
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. net — for catching
  14. roll — a list
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. can — a tin
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — in sport
  19. pass — a permit
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. mine — for digging
  23. can — to be able to
  24. branch — of a tree

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