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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. swing — to play on
  3. swing — in golf
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pop — to visit
  8. staff — employees
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. row — to paddle
  11. bat — the animal
  12. staff — employees
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. bear — the animal
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. staff — a stick
  17. pop — soda
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. pop — music
  20. swing — music
  21. row — a line
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

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