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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. swing — to play on
  3. squash — to crush
  4. drill — the tool
  5. court — of a king
  6. squash — the sport
  7. season — in sport
  8. drill — a practice
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. last — finally
  11. swing — music
  12. last — to go on
  13. drill — army training
  14. court — of law
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. swing — in golf
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. rock — a stone
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. court — for sport
  23. season — of the year
  24. rock — music

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