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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. band — a music group
  3. cap — a lid
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. rule — a law
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. swing — music
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — for catching
  13. dip — to sink
  14. rule — government
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. swing — in golf
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. cap — of ice
  19. net — in sport
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. cap — a hat
  23. bark — to shout
  24. band — a ring

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