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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. net — in sport
  4. swing — to play on
  5. band — a ring
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. swing — in golf
  8. march — music
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — after costs
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. hand — in cards
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. hand — help
  18. bat — the animal
  19. band — a music group
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. march — the month
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. march — the month

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