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 · swing · ground · perch · bulb · cell · lie · saw

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. cell — a phone
  3. saw — the tool
  4. perch — the fish
  5. ground — the earth
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. lie — to recline
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cell — in biology
  11. swing — music
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. ground — crushed
  14. swing — in golf
  15. swing — to play on
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. ground — a position
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bulb — for light
  21. branch — a division
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. branch — of a bank

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