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: swing · mine · fall · branch · bank · tube · perch · mouse

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mine — for digging
  3. swing — music
  4. fall — the season
  5. tube — a container
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bank — for money
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. fall — to drop
  15. perch — the fish
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. swing — in golf
  18. fall — to drop
  19. swing — to play on
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — of a river
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. branch — a division

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