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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. club — for dancing
  3. season — in sport
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ground — the earth
  6. club — for golf
  7. ground — crushed
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. swing — music
  11. club — a group
  12. shower — rain
  13. ground — a position
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. swing — to play on
  16. season — of the year
  17. wake — a trail
  18. roll — a cake
  19. ball — a great time
  20. shower — to wash
  21. roll — a list
  22. ball — a dance
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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