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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. rock — music
  4. swing — music
  5. rest — a break
  6. rest — what's left
  7. lean — to bend
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. chest — of your body
  10. foot — a measure
  11. scale — in music
  12. chest — a box
  13. swing — to play on
  14. swing — in golf
  15. chest — of your body
  16. rock — a stone
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. scale — size or range
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. rest — what's left
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. scale — for weighing

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