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 · spring · board · tube · prune · swing · cue · band

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. spring — a coil
  3. prune — to trim
  4. spring — the season
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. swing — to play on
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. cue — for pool
  11. tube — the underground
  12. board — to get on
  13. prune — to trim
  14. spring — of water
  15. swing — in golf
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cue — a signal
  18. band — a ring
  19. swing — music
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. band — a music group
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. board — a committee

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