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 · perch · wound · lash · wake · present · branch · degree

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  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. present — there
  2. degree — an amount
  3. swing — in golf
  4. degree — temperature
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. degree — from a university
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. present — a gift
  13. present — the time now
  14. swing — music
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. branch — a division
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. wound — an injury
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. wake — a trail
  21. wound — an injury
  22. swing — to play on
  23. perch — the fish
  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