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 116 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: perch · branch · straw · pitcher · wound · mate · pass · bound

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bound — certain
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. bound — obliged
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — an injury
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. mate — to breed
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. mate — a friend
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. perch — the fish
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. mate — a partner

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