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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. field — a subject
  3. branch — a division
  4. bound — obliged
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. land — a country
  7. swing — to play on
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. swing — in golf
  11. bound — certain
  12. wake — a trail
  13. land — to come down
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. cue — a signal
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. land — ground
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. cue — for pool
  20. field — for sport
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. field — farmland
  23. bound — tied together
  24. cue — a hint

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