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: mouse · content · bore · spell · prune · net · branch · drill

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  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. bore — to drill
  2. spell — letters
  3. drill — the tool
  4. net — for catching
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. content — the amount
  7. net — in sport
  8. drill — army training
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bore — to tire
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. drill — a practice
  16. prune — to trim
  17. content — happy
  18. branch — a division
  19. net — after costs
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. spell — magic
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. branch — of a bank
  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