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: bound · straw · drill · bore · coach · perch · bowl · branch

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. perch — the fish
  4. branch — a division
  5. drill — army training
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bound — tied together
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bound — certain
  17. drill — the tool
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bound — obliged
  22. drill — a practice
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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