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: chip · wave · present · spell · branch · net · lean · hand

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. spell — letters
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. net — after costs
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. spell — magic
  9. branch — a division
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — a gift
  12. net — in sport
  13. lean — to bend
  14. present — there
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. hand — in cards
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — for betting
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. lean — thin
  21. hand — help
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. net — for catching
  24. spell — a short time

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