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: cabinet · wound · rush · roll · branch · swing · fall · wake

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. roll — a list
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. fall — the season
  6. swing — music
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. roll — a cake
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. fall — to drop
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. wound — an injury
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. wound — an injury
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. fall — to drop
  21. swing — to play on
  22. swing — in golf
  23. rush — hurry
  24. wake — a trail

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