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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. swing — in golf
  5. wind — moving air
  6. rash — hasty
  7. court — of law
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. court — of a king
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. snap — to click
  13. chair — a leader
  14. swing — music
  15. swing — to play on
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. squash — to crush
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. squash — the sport
  21. wind — moving air
  22. court — for sport
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. rash — a series

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