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 116 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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. rock — music
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. swing — in golf
  5. face — part of the head
  6. swing — music
  7. game — a match
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. stock — shares
  10. rush — hurry
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. mark — a trace
  15. face — to confront
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. swing — to play on
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. face — to point toward
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. stock — goods
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. mark — a grade

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