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 · row · hand · net · branch · pitcher · can · squash

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. squash — to crush
  4. can — to be able to
  5. net — for catching
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. hand — help
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. hand — in cards
  12. branch — a division
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. squash — the sport
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — in sport
  20. row — a line
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. can — a tin
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. can — a tin

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