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: cap · jam · tube · wake · toast · swing · pitch · branch

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. swing — in golf
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. cap — a hat
  5. wake — a trail
  6. pitch — completely
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. cap — a lid
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. swing — music
  14. branch — a division
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. tube — a container
  18. cap — of ice
  19. tube — the underground
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. swing — to play on
  22. toast — bread
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. pitch — a sports field

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