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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. track — to keep track
  3. track — a song
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. swing — in golf
  8. sharp — clever
  9. fine — all right
  10. file — a line of people
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. hand — in cards
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. file — a tool
  18. swing — to play on
  19. bulb — for light
  20. file — a document
  21. track — a path
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. hand — help
  24. bulb — for light

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