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: board · perch · branch · stick · kick · last · net · arm

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. last — final
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. branch — a division
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. net — for catching
  10. last — to go on
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. board — to get on
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. net — in sport
  16. board — a committee
  17. net — after costs
  18. kick — in football
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. last — finally
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. perch — the fish
  24. arm — a part of something

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