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: branch · rock · mate · perch · chair · swing · charge · field

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. branch — a division
  4. mate — a friend
  5. swing — music
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. swing — in golf
  8. mate — a partner
  9. field — a subject
  10. field — farmland
  11. rock — a stone
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. chair — a leader
  14. perch — the fish
  15. field — for sport
  16. charge — a price
  17. charge — in control
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. mate — to breed
  20. swing — to play on
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. rock — music
  23. charge — electricity
  24. branch — of a tree

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