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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. swing — in golf
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. club — for golf
  5. wound — an injury
  6. present — a gift
  7. club — a group
  8. content — happy
  9. shower — to wash
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. present — there
  17. shower — rain
  18. content — the amount
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. swing — music
  21. club — for dancing
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. swing — to play on
  24. wound — an injury

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