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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. squash — to crush
  3. lean — to bend
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. ball — a dance
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. spring — the season
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. spring — of water
  12. lean — thin
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. swing — to play on
  15. squash — the sport
  16. spring — a coil
  17. date — the fruit
  18. swing — music
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. ball — a great time
  22. swing — in golf
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. coach — a trainer

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