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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — a break
  3. swing — to play on
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. swing — music
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. swing — in golf
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mine — for digging
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. hand — help
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. dip — to sink
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. kick — in football
  20. hand — in cards
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. rest — what's left
  24. mine — belonging to me

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