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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. spring — the season
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. last — to go on
  8. hand — in cards
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. fork — in a road
  11. pitch — completely
  12. last — final
  13. spring — a coil
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. swing — to play on
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. swing — music
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. spring — of water
  23. hand — help
  24. last — finally

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