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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. shower — to wash
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. mate — a partner
  10. file — a tool
  11. perch — the fish
  12. swing — to play on
  13. root — the cause
  14. mate — to breed
  15. shower — rain
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. file — a line of people
  18. mate — a friend
  19. pass — a permit
  20. root — of a word
  21. file — a document
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. swing — in golf
  24. root — of a plant

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