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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. band — a music group
  3. pop — soda
  4. swing — to play on
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. band — a ring
  7. squash — to crush
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. swing — music
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. pop — music
  15. swing — in golf
  16. tube — a container
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. chair — a leader
  20. pop — to visit
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. squash — the sport
  23. tube — the underground
  24. squash — the vegetable

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