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: dip · perch · field · pop · bark · cabinet · branch · rash

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. rash — hasty
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. branch — a division
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. perch — the fish
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. field — farmland
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. rash — a series
  16. field — for sport
  17. pop — to visit
  18. field — a subject
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. pop — soda
  21. bark — to shout
  22. pop — music
  23. dip — to sink
  24. cabinet — ministers

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