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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. swing — in golf
  3. swing — music
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. ground — the earth
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. row — a line
  8. can — a tin
  9. swing — to play on
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. ground — a position
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. can — a tin
  14. bat — the animal
  15. can — to be able to
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. vault — a safe
  18. ground — crushed
  19. staff — employees
  20. chip — to eat
  21. row — to paddle
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. chip — for betting
  24. staff — employees

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