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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  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. swing — in golf
  2. fall — to drop
  3. present — the time now
  4. fall — the season
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bass — low music
  7. present — a gift
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. bass — the fish
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. date — the fruit
  14. cell — in biology
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. swing — to play on
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. swing — music
  20. fall — to drop
  21. toast — bread
  22. present — there
  23. cell — a phone
  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