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 120 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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. suit — in cards
  3. swing — in golf
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. net — after costs
  8. row — a line
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. swing — music
  11. land — ground
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. swing — to play on
  14. present — there
  15. pass — a permit
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. net — for catching
  18. land — a country
  19. row — to paddle
  20. present — the time now
  21. land — to come down
  22. suit — to fit
  23. net — in sport
  24. present — a gift

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