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: swing · branch · capital · bear · calf · lean · board · wake

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. board — to get on
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. swing — music
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. branch — a division
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. capital — money
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — thin
  14. bear — the animal
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. capital — a city
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. swing — to play on
  22. board — a committee
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. swing — in golf

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