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: straw · cue · wake · swing · root · key · trunk · cap

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. swing — to play on
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. swing — music
  6. root — the cause
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. key — in music
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cue — a hint
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. cue — a signal
  14. root — of a plant
  15. key — the most important part
  16. root — of a word
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. key — for a lock
  20. cap — a lid
  21. swing — in golf
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. cue — for pool
  24. wake — a trail

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