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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. drill — army training
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. swing — music
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. drill — the tool
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. pop — soda
  9. swing — to play on
  10. drill — a practice
  11. staff — a stick
  12. fine — all right
  13. ball — a great time
  14. spell — magic
  15. pop — to visit
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. ball — a dance
  18. spell — letters
  19. pop — music
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. spell — a short time
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — employees
  24. swing — in golf

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