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 116 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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. kid — to tease
  4. squash — the sport
  5. band — a music group
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. swing — in golf
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. fall — the season
  10. bear — the animal
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. fall — to drop
  13. swing — to play on
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. swing — music
  16. pass — a permit
  17. season — in sport
  18. band — a ring
  19. squash — to crush
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. season — of the year
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. fall — to drop
  24. kid — child

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