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: wind · swing · can · racket · chest · date · pitcher · jam

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. chest — a box
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. chest — of your body
  7. wind — moving air
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. chest — of your body
  10. date — the fruit
  11. can — a tin
  12. swing — in golf
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. can — to be able to
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. swing — to play on
  17. wind — moving air
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. can — a tin
  23. swing — music
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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