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 120 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: net · branch · present · mate · coach · temple · clip · current

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. mate — a friend
  3. clip — a video
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. current — electric
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. mate — to breed
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. present — the time now
  11. net — for catching
  12. mate — a partner
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. present — a gift
  15. present — there
  16. clip — for paper
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. branch — a division
  20. net — after costs
  21. net — in sport
  22. current — happening now
  23. current — of water
  24. clip — to cut

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