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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. object — a thing
  4. press — a publisher
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. swing — in golf
  7. wind — moving air
  8. capital — money
  9. press — to push
  10. capital — a city
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. press — newspapers
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. pit — in a race
  17. swing — to play on
  18. hand — help
  19. hand — in cards
  20. object — an aim
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. pit — a hole
  23. object — to protest
  24. wind — moving air

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