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. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. fine — high quality
  5. swing — to play on
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. cue — for pool
  9. wind — moving air
  10. cue — a hint
  11. swing — music
  12. roll — a list
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. roll — a cake
  16. branch — a division
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. fine — all right
  19. cold — an illness
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. cue — a signal
  22. toast — bread
  23. cold — not warm
  24. wind — moving air

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