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: deal · branch · racket · patient · spring · pitcher · net · calf

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. spring — of water
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. deal — to handle
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. spring — the season
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. branch — a division
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. net — in sport
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. spring — a coil
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. net — after costs

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