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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. court — of a king
  3. chest — of your body
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. swing — in golf
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. swing — to play on
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. court — of law
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. row — a line
  12. cell — in biology
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. chest — a box
  15. cell — a phone
  16. mug — a cup
  17. season — of the year
  18. court — for sport
  19. swing — music
  20. mug — to rob
  21. row — to paddle
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. season — in sport
  24. mug — a face

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