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: net · mate · branch · rule · hand · coach · shower · face

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. net — for catching
  3. rule — government
  4. face — to point toward
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. hand — help
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. mate — to breed
  9. net — in sport
  10. mate — a partner
  11. shower — to wash
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. face — to confront
  15. shower — rain
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. mate — a friend
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. net — after costs
  20. rule — a law
  21. face — part of the head
  22. hand — in cards
  23. branch — a division
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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