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. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  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. court — for sport
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. pitch — completely
  5. ground — the earth
  6. face — to point toward
  7. wind — moving air
  8. court — of a king
  9. swing — music
  10. face — part of the head
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. ground — a position
  13. ground — crushed
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. court — of law
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. wind — moving air
  23. face — to confront
  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