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: swing · rule · game · wound · branch · press · deal · perch

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. game — a match
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. press — to push
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. branch — a division
  8. rule — government
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. deal — to handle
  12. press — newspapers
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. swing — music
  15. wound — an injury
  16. game — wild animals
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. rule — a law
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. swing — to play on
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. perch — the fish
  23. wound — an injury
  24. swing — in golf

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