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: wake · bear · branch · trunk · rash · roll · swing · mate

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. bear — the animal
  3. wake — a trail
  4. rash — a series
  5. swing — music
  6. mate — a friend
  7. swing — to play on
  8. swing — in golf
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. roll — a list
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. branch — a division
  13. rash — hasty
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. mate — to breed
  16. bear — the animal
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. mate — a partner
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. roll — a cake
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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