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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. mark — a grade
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. fall — to drop
  5. firm — decided
  6. cold — not warm
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. swing — to play on
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. fall — to drop
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. mark — a trace
  13. spell — magic
  14. fall — the season
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. spell — a short time
  17. squash — to crush
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. swing — music
  20. squash — the sport
  21. spell — letters
  22. firm — a company
  23. firm — steady
  24. cold — an illness

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