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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. club — for golf
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. club — a group
  5. march — the month
  6. club — for dancing
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. season — of the year
  9. pound — a weight
  10. snap — to click
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. pop — soda
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. march — music
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — music
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. season — in sport

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