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 116 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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. swing — to play on
  3. band — a ring
  4. pop — music
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. mark — a trace
  7. pop — soda
  8. squash — the sport
  9. rash — a series
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. deal — to handle
  13. court — of law
  14. band — a music group
  15. court — of a king
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. pop — to visit
  20. court — for sport
  21. swing — music
  22. mark — a grade
  23. rash — hasty
  24. squash — to crush

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