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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. swing — in golf
  3. cue — for pool
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. cue — a signal
  6. ball — a great time
  7. swing — music
  8. lie — to recline
  9. season — of the year
  10. swing — to play on
  11. pop — soda
  12. tear — to rip
  13. tear — from crying
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. pop — music
  16. cue — a hint
  17. tear — from crying
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. season — in sport
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pop — to visit
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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