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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. wound — an injury
  3. march — music
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. wound — an injury
  6. spell — magic
  7. pit — in a race
  8. march — the month
  9. club — for golf
  10. swing — music
  11. spell — letters
  12. pit — a hole
  13. swing — in golf
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. bank — for money
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. swing — to play on
  18. march — the month
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. spell — a short time
  21. club — a group
  22. bank — of a river
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bank — for money

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