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: branch · track · hide · ruler · fork · straw · can · swing

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. swing — in golf
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. can — to be able to
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. can — a tin
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. swing — music
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. can — a tin
  16. fork — in a road
  17. swing — to play on
  18. track — a path
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. track — to keep track
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. branch — a division
  24. ruler — for measuring

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