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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rock — music
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. sharp — clever
  6. degree — from a university
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. swing — to play on
  9. swing — music
  10. rash — a series
  11. swing — in golf
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. club — for dancing
  14. club — for golf
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. band — a music group
  17. degree — an amount
  18. rash — hasty
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. club — a group
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. degree — temperature
  24. band — a ring

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