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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. swing — in golf
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. pop — music
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. ball — a dance
  9. kick — in football
  10. land — to come down
  11. saw — the tool
  12. pop — to visit
  13. mine — for digging
  14. land — a country
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. ball — a great time
  17. pop — soda
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. land — ground
  20. swing — music
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. swing — to play on
  24. ball — a round shape

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