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 116 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: rule · cabinet · branch · mug · land · net · pop · saw

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. mug — a cup
  6. net — for catching
  7. pop — to visit
  8. mug — to rob
  9. net — after costs
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. rule — government
  12. rule — a law
  13. land — ground
  14. mug — a face
  15. land — to come down
  16. net — in sport
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. land — a country
  20. pop — music
  21. pop — soda
  22. branch — a division
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. rule — to rule out

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