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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. ball — a great time
  3. squash — to crush
  4. rest — what's left
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. squash — the sport
  7. bank — of a river
  8. rest — a break
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. fall — the season
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. ball — a dance
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — moving air
  16. fall — to drop
  17. swing — in golf
  18. fall — to drop
  19. swing — music
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. bank — for money
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. swing — to play on
  24. bank — for money

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