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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. rock — a stone
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. spring — of water
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mug — to rob
  7. rock — music
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. mug — a face
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rash — a series
  12. saw — the tool
  13. spring — a coil
  14. swing — in golf
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. swing — to play on
  17. lie — to recline
  18. roll — a cake
  19. roll — a list
  20. spring — the season
  21. saw — the tool
  22. mug — a cup
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. rock — to move gently

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