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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. swing — in golf
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. court — of law
  11. snap — to click
  12. swing — to play on
  13. court — for sport
  14. scale — in music
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. court — of a king
  19. pitch — completely
  20. scale — size or range
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. racket — for tennis

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