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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. wind — moving air
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. wind — moving air
  5. net — after costs
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. spring — a coil
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. swing — music
  13. court — of a king
  14. spell — letters
  15. court — of law
  16. swing — to play on
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — magic
  19. net — for catching
  20. spring — of water
  21. spring — the season
  22. snap — to click
  23. court — for sport
  24. net — in sport

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