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: branch · calf · saw · wave · chip · spring · net · prune

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. spring — of water
  3. net — after costs
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. spring — a coil
  7. net — in sport
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. prune — to trim
  10. saw — the tool
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. net — for catching
  13. spring — the season
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. chip — for betting
  16. saw — the tool
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. branch — a division
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. chip — to eat
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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