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: file · hide · rest · branch · swing · bass · trunk · field

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. file — a tool
  3. file — a document
  4. swing — in golf
  5. bass — low music
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — a break
  10. swing — to play on
  11. field — farmland
  12. swing — music
  13. rest — what's left
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. file — a line of people
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. branch — a division
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. field — a subject
  23. field — for sport
  24. bass — the fish

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