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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. wind — moving air
  5. drill — a practice
  6. pass — a permit
  7. drill — army training
  8. squash — the sport
  9. wind — moving air
  10. drill — the tool
  11. race — a contest
  12. swing — to play on
  13. mark — a grade
  14. shower — rain
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. squash — to crush
  17. shower — to wash
  18. mark — a trace
  19. race — the arms race
  20. swing — music
  21. race — humankind
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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