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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. band — a ring
  4. band — a music group
  5. net — in sport
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. spell — magic
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. spell — a short time
  12. rash — a series
  13. spring — a coil
  14. spring — the season
  15. swing — in golf
  16. net — for catching
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. bat — the animal
  19. rash — hasty
  20. swing — to play on
  21. net — after costs
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. spring — of water
  24. spell — letters

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