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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — to play on
  4. wind — moving air
  5. club — for dancing
  6. fine — all right
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. wind — moving air
  9. swing — in golf
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fine — high quality
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. track — to keep track
  18. club — a group
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. track — a path
  21. track — a song
  22. club — for golf
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. fan — a supporter

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