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 · jam · spell · wound · chip · fall · wake · trunk

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. wake — a trail
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. chip — for betting
  7. swing — music
  8. fall — to drop
  9. swing — to play on
  10. wound — an injury
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. swing — in golf
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. spell — a short time
  18. chip — to eat
  19. fall — to drop
  20. spell — letters
  21. wound — an injury
  22. spell — magic
  23. wake — before a funeral
  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