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: mark · season · pass · court · net · mouse · wind · branch

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  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. pass — a permit
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. court — of law
  4. net — in sport
  5. branch — a division
  6. season — in sport
  7. wind — moving air
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. net — for catching
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. court — for sport
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. wind — moving air
  15. net — after costs
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. season — of the year
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mark — a trace
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. court — of a king
  23. pass — to spend time
  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