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 · foot · wind · wake · march · capital · date

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. swing — in golf
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. capital — money
  8. swing — music
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. march — the month
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. date — the fruit
  18. capital — a city
  19. wake — a trail
  20. foot — a measure
  21. swing — to play on
  22. march — music
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. march — the month

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