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 · wound · branch · bulb · racket · capital · bay · club

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. club — for golf
  6. club — for dancing
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bulb — for light
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bulb — for light
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. capital — money
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. wound — an injury
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. wound — an injury
  21. branch — a division
  22. capital — a city
  23. club — a group
  24. jam — a tight spot

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