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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. swing — to play on
  3. fine — high quality
  4. club — for dancing
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. scale — in music
  7. club — a group
  8. roll — a cake
  9. club — for golf
  10. mate — a partner
  11. scale — size or range
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. fine — all right
  16. roll — a list
  17. mate — to breed
  18. swing — music
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. swing — in golf
  21. stand — to bear
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. roll — on a 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