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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. row — a line
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. face — to confront
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. season — of the year
  8. cue — a signal
  9. wind — moving air
  10. face — part of the head
  11. cue — for pool
  12. mug — a cup
  13. wind — moving air
  14. row — to paddle
  15. mug — to rob
  16. cue — a hint
  17. face — to point toward
  18. swing — in golf
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — a series
  21. mug — a face
  22. season — in sport
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. swing — to play on

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