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: jam · capital · bank · file · cell · deal · face · swing

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. swing — to play on
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. cell — in biology
  6. bank — for money
  7. file — a tool
  8. cell — a phone
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. capital — a city
  11. bank — for money
  12. face — part of the head
  13. file — a document
  14. capital — money
  15. bank — of a river
  16. face — to point toward
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. swing — in golf
  19. file — a line of people
  20. deal — to handle
  21. swing — music
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. face — to confront

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