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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. swing — music
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — in golf
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. charge — a price
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. rest — what's left
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. sharp — clever
  16. mine — for digging
  17. charge — in control
  18. rest — a break
  19. rest — what's left
  20. charge — electricity
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. fine — high quality
  24. sharp — with an edge

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