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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: swing · content · rest · last · bowl · rule

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. last — finally
  3. rest — a break
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. content — the amount
  10. rule — government
  11. swing — music
  12. swing — in golf
  13. content — happy
  14. last — final
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. rule — a law
  18. 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