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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. swing — to play on
  3. last — to go on
  4. club — for golf
  5. swing — music
  6. file — a document
  7. last — final
  8. squash — to crush
  9. last — finally
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. swing — in golf
  12. scale — size or range
  13. club — a group
  14. club — for dancing
  15. file — a line of people
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. scale — in music
  18. squash — the sport

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