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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. track — a song
  3. rest — a break
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. swing — to play on
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. swing — music
  10. rest — what's left
  11. land — to come down
  12. track — a path
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bass — low music
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. hand — help
  18. land — a country
  19. rest — what's left
  20. swing — in golf
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bass — the fish
  23. hand — in cards
  24. track — to keep track

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