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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. spell — letters
  4. cue — for pool
  5. spell — a short time
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — obliged
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — a signal
  10. court — of a king
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. swing — music
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bound — tied together
  17. swing — in golf
  18. wound — an injury
  19. court — of law
  20. court — for sport
  21. spell — magic
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wind — moving air

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