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: cue · branch · net · prune · hide · pop · game · fall

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. fall — to drop
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. net — in sport
  9. pop — to visit
  10. game — a match
  11. game — wild animals
  12. net — for catching
  13. fall — the season
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pop — soda
  16. cue — a hint
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. net — after costs
  20. cue — for pool
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pop — music
  24. cue — a signal

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