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 · content · mug · wax · cell · pound · squash · season

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. mug — to rob
  3. content — the amount
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. swing — music
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. pound — a weight
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. content — happy
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. squash — to crush
  12. mug — a cup
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. season — of the year
  15. cell — a phone
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. cell — in biology
  19. wax — to grow
  20. swing — to play on
  21. season — in sport
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. mug — a face
  24. swing — in golf

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