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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. court — for sport
  4. swing — in golf
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. toast — bread
  7. bat — the animal
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. swing — to play on
  10. bass — low music
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. court — of law
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. fall — the season
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. court — of a king
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bass — the fish
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. ruler — a monarch

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