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: bat · chair · swing · bank · cabinet · cap · dip · jam

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cap — of ice
  3. bank — for money
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bank — of a river
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. swing — to play on
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. chair — a leader
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. bank — for money
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. swing — in golf
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. swing — music
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. bat — the animal
  24. cap — a hat

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