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: field · coach · branch · fall · roll · swing · wave · tube

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. swing — to play on
  3. field — a subject
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. tube — a container
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. roll — a list
  8. swing — music
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. field — farmland
  13. fall — to drop
  14. tube — the underground
  15. roll — a cake
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. fall — the season
  18. branch — a division
  19. field — for sport
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. fall — to drop
  24. coach — a trainer

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