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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. swing — music
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. band — a ring
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. object — to protest
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. swing — in golf
  14. object — a thing
  15. kid — child
  16. object — an aim
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. swing — to play on
  19. band — a music group
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. kid — to tease
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pitcher — a jug

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