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 116 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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. swing — to play on
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. track — to keep track
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. game — a match
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. game — wild animals
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. track — a path
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. swing — in golf
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stem — to come from
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. track — a song
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. kick — in football
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. kick — a thrill

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