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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. swing — in golf
  4. row — to paddle
  5. swing — to play on
  6. wound — an injury
  7. object — to protest
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. game — a match
  10. game — wild animals
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. rest — a break
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. object — a thing
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. row — a line
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. rest — what's left
  23. object — an aim
  24. rest — what's left

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