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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. swing — to play on
  3. pop — music
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. bear — the animal
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. swing — music
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. bear — the animal
  14. roll — a cake
  15. content — the amount
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. roll — a list
  18. hand — in cards
  19. content — happy
  20. swing — in golf
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pop — soda

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