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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. cap — of ice
  3. swing — in golf
  4. swing — to play on
  5. squash — the sport
  6. swing — music
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. cap — a lid
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. club — a group
  11. rule — a law
  12. squash — to crush
  13. bore — to drill
  14. hand — in cards
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. club — for golf
  17. net — after costs
  18. cap — a hat
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — for catching
  21. bore — to tire
  22. hand — help
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. rule — government

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