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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. net — in sport
  5. swing — in golf
  6. drill — the tool
  7. degree — an amount
  8. net — for catching
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. current — of water
  11. swing — to play on
  12. degree — temperature
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. current — electric
  15. drill — army training
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. net — after costs
  18. ground — crushed
  19. drill — a practice
  20. current — happening now
  21. ground — the earth
  22. degree — from a university
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. ground — a position

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