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 · pitcher · straw · ground · band · lie · swing · branch

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. band — a ring
  5. swing — music
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — to recline
  8. ground — a position
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. branch — a division
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. ground — crushed
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. swing — in golf
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. ground — the earth
  22. swing — to play on
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. band — a music group

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