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: pop · perch · chair · swing · trunk · lean · branch · land

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. land — ground
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. pop — music
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. perch — the fish
  8. land — a country
  9. pop — to visit
  10. swing — to play on
  11. pop — soda
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. chair — a leader
  16. branch — a division
  17. swing — in golf
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. land — to come down
  20. lean — to bend
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. lean — thin

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