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: arm · branch · drill · pit · fan · lash · net · snap

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. net — after costs
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. snap — to click
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. drill — a practice
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. drill — the tool
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pit — in a race
  16. branch — a division
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. net — for catching
  21. net — in sport
  22. drill — army training
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. lash — to lash 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