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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. swing — to play on
  3. wound — an injury
  4. swing — music
  5. wound — an injury
  6. ball — a dance
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. roll — a list
  9. pass — a permit
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. rest — what's left
  12. swing — in golf
  13. wake — a trail
  14. race — the arms race
  15. rest — what's left
  16. race — a contest
  17. race — humankind
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. rest — a break
  24. pass — to succeed

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