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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. band — a music group
  3. face — to confront
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. capital — money
  8. perch — the fish
  9. capital — a city
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. face — part of the head
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. swing — to play on
  14. face — to point toward
  15. band — a ring
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. ball — a great time
  18. fall — the season
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. fall — to drop
  21. swing — in golf
  22. ball — a dance
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. fall — to drop

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