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 120 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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. cap — a lid
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. fine — high quality
  5. cap — of ice
  6. swing — to play on
  7. field — farmland
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. cap — a hat
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. pit — in a race
  12. board — a committee
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. board — to get on
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. pit — a hole
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. field — a subject
  19. wake — a trail
  20. swing — in golf
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. field — for sport
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. fine — all right

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