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: suit · squash · chair · wake · bass · perch · branch · fine

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. bass — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. suit — in cards
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. suit — to fit
  11. bass — low music
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. fine — all right
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. branch — a division
  16. wake — a trail
  17. squash — the sport
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. suit — clothes
  20. squash — to crush
  21. perch — the fish
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. chair — a leader

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