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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. content — the amount
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. capital — money
  5. swing — music
  6. mine — for digging
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bank — for money
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. bank — for money
  11. race — humankind
  12. race — the arms race
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. race — a contest
  16. swing — in golf
  17. content — happy
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. bass — low music
  20. bank — of a river
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. capital — a city
  23. bass — the fish
  24. content — videos and posts

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