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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. object — a thing
  4. game — a match
  5. deal — to handle
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of a king
  8. object — an aim
  9. can — to be able to
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. game — wild animals
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. object — to protest
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. court — of law
  18. can — a tin
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. swing — to play on
  21. can — a tin
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. swing — music

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