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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. swing — in golf
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. spell — magic
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. spell — a short time
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. fall — to drop
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. swing — music
  13. dip — to sink
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. mine — for digging
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. swing — to play on
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. spell — letters
  23. fall — to drop
  24. mine — belonging to me

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