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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. rest — what's left
  3. swing — to play on
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. cap — a hat
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. ground — crushed
  9. swing — in golf
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. ground — a position
  14. cap — of ice
  15. ground — the earth
  16. cap — a lid
  17. rest — a break
  18. bowl — to roll

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