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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. pop — soda
  4. pop — to visit
  5. club — for golf
  6. staff — a stick
  7. swing — music
  8. swing — to play on
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fine — all right
  12. club — a group
  13. pop — music
  14. craft — a skill
  15. rock — a stone
  16. swing — in golf
  17. rock — music
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. club — for dancing
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. craft — boats
  24. staff — employees

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