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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. swing — in golf
  3. present — there
  4. present — a gift
  5. swing — to play on
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. staff — employees
  8. swing — music
  9. wax — to grow
  10. squash — the sport
  11. staff — employees
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. pop — soda
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. pop — music
  16. present — the time now
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. staff — a stick
  19. season — in sport
  20. squash — to crush
  21. season — of the year
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. wax — for sculpting

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