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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. club — a group
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. bulb — for light
  6. charge — a price
  7. swing — music
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. band — a ring
  11. swing — in golf
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. charge — in control
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. club — for golf
  19. band — a music group
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bark — to shout
  22. sharp — clever
  23. club — for dancing
  24. pitch — completely

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