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: rock · bark · spell · swing · coach · nail · branch · field

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. branch — a division
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rock — a stone
  7. spell — magic
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. swing — music
  10. field — for sport
  11. field — farmland
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. field — a subject
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — a short time
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. swing — to play on
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. swing — in golf
  22. bark — to shout
  23. rock — music
  24. bark — of a tree

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