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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. pop — music
  3. mug — to rob
  4. pop — soda
  5. cold — an illness
  6. swing — to play on
  7. mug — a face
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. club — for golf
  10. pop — to visit
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. swing — music
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. mate — to breed
  15. cold — not warm
  16. shower — rain
  17. mug — a cup
  18. club — a group
  19. mate — a friend
  20. swing — in golf
  21. mate — a partner
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. club — for dancing
  24. shower — to wash

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