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: deal · drill · object · swing · branch · jam · chest · wake

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. swing — to play on
  4. chest — a box
  5. object — to protest
  6. deal — to handle
  7. drill — a practice
  8. swing — in golf
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — an aim
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. branch — a division
  16. chest — of your body
  17. drill — army training
  18. drill — the tool
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. swing — music
  22. chest — of your body
  23. wake — a trail
  24. deal — an agreement

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