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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. club — for dancing
  4. swing — in golf
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. current — happening now
  7. pop — to visit
  8. content — happy
  9. pop — soda
  10. current — of water
  11. content — the amount
  12. club — for golf
  13. swing — to play on
  14. current — electric
  15. swing — music
  16. wound — an injury
  17. object — a thing
  18. stand — to bear
  19. object — an aim
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. pop — music
  22. club — a group
  23. object — to protest
  24. wound — an injury

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