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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — moving air
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. swing — in golf
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. swing — to play on
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. band — a ring
  14. file — a document
  15. craft — a skill
  16. lie — to recline
  17. file — a tool
  18. craft — boats
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. file — a line of people
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. foot — a measure
  24. band — a music group

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