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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. swing — in golf
  3. swing — music
  4. pit — in a race
  5. swing — to play on
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. band — a ring
  8. band — a music group
  9. wake — a trail
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. spell — a short time
  15. chest — a box
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. pit — a hole
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. chest — of your body
  21. spell — letters
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. spell — magic

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