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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. stock — goods
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. file — a document
  6. file — a line of people
  7. stock — shares
  8. file — a tool
  9. swing — music
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. spring — the season
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. capital — a city
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. spring — of water
  16. lean — thin
  17. spring — a coil
  18. swing — to play on
  19. plane — a tool
  20. rest — what's left
  21. capital — money
  22. rest — a break
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. rest — what's left

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