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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. last — final
  3. swing — music
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. last — to go on
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. toast — bread
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. last — finally
  16. wake — a trail
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. cold — not warm
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. cold — an illness
  24. swing — to play on

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