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: track · perch · racket · bark · press · firm · branch · rule

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  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. rule — a law
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. track — a song
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. perch — the fish
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. firm — a company
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. track — to keep track
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. rule — government
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. press — newspapers
  15. branch — a division
  16. press — a publisher
  17. bark — to shout
  18. track — a path
  19. firm — decided
  20. press — to push
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. firm — steady
  23. racket — for tennis
  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