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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. staff — employees
  3. swing — to play on
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — a stick
  6. spell — letters
  7. rash — hasty
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. swing — in golf
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. spell — a short time
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the fish
  17. swing — music
  18. rash — a series
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bat — the animal
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. spell — magic
  24. bat — for baseball

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