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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. swing — music
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. row — a line
  5. game — a match
  6. bass — low music
  7. club — a group
  8. row — to paddle
  9. swing — to play on
  10. stock — shares
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — of a river
  15. wound — an injury
  16. club — for dancing
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — wild animals
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. bank — for money
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bass — the fish
  23. stock — goods
  24. club — for golf

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