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 120 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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. club — for dancing
  4. club — a group
  5. plane — a tool
  6. swing — in golf
  7. staff — employees
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. club — for golf
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. staff — a stick
  12. hand — help
  13. kid — to tease
  14. rush — hurry
  15. kid — child
  16. mate — a friend
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. swing — to play on
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mate — to breed
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. hand — in cards
  23. staff — employees
  24. swing — 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