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

Word bank: swing · cabinet · tear · cell · pop · vault · spell · row

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. spell — magic
  3. pop — music
  4. row — a line
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. spell — a short time
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. swing — in golf
  9. cell — in biology
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. row — to paddle
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — to rip
  16. pop — soda
  17. tear — from crying
  18. cell — a phone
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. spell — letters
  21. pop — to visit
  22. vault — a safe
  23. swing — to play on
  24. cell — in a prison

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