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: row · branch · bat · wind · swing · mug · toast · jam

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  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. toast — a drink to someone
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. toast — bread
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. swing — to play on
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. bat — the animal
  11. wind — moving air
  12. mug — a cup
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. branch — a division
  16. row — to paddle
  17. row — a line
  18. wind — moving air
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. swing — music
  22. mug — a face
  23. mug — to rob
  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