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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. wake — a trail
  4. squash — to crush
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. squash — the sport
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. mine — for digging
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. swing — music
  12. bulb — for light
  13. kick — in football
  14. swing — in golf
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. content — the amount
  18. board — a committee
  19. board — to get on
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. content — happy
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — 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