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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. march — the month
  3. sharp — clever
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. bass — low music
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. game — wild animals
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. swing — music
  13. board — a committee
  14. swing — to play on
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. march — the month
  17. march — music
  18. board — to get on
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. game — a match
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. bass — the fish
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fan — a supporter

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