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: ruler · roll · trunk · nail · branch · press · straw · net

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  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. branch — of a bank
  2. press — newspapers
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. net — after costs
  5. press — to push
  6. press — a publisher
  7. net — for catching
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. roll — a cake
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. net — in sport
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. branch — a division
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. roll — a list
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. trunk — of a car
  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