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 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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. march — music
  6. game — wild animals
  7. season — in sport
  8. swing — in golf
  9. season — of the year
  10. capital — money
  11. swing — to play on
  12. game — a match
  13. march — the month
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. march — the month
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. capital — a city

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