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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. mark — a grade
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. capital — money
  5. swing — to play on
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. spring — of water
  9. capital — a city
  10. swing — in golf
  11. race — the arms race
  12. spring — a coil
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. race — a contest
  19. saw — the tool
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. spring — the season
  23. fork — in a road
  24. race — humankind

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