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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. land — a country
  3. object — an aim
  4. squash — the sport
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. lean — thin
  7. swing — in golf
  8. rest — a break
  9. squash — to crush
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. object — to protest
  12. rest — what's left
  13. net — in sport
  14. object — a thing
  15. lean — to bend
  16. court — for sport
  17. swing — music
  18. land — to come down
  19. land — ground
  20. net — after costs
  21. court — of a king
  22. net — for catching
  23. court — of law
  24. swing — to play on

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