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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. swing — in golf
  3. march — the month
  4. march — the month
  5. march — music
  6. swing — music
  7. rash — a series
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. vault — a safe
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. swing — to play on
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. rash — hasty
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a committee
  18. track — to keep track
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. track — a path
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. track — a song
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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