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: pop · straw · game · band · swing · staff · capital · wave

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. capital — a city
  5. band — a music group
  6. game — wild animals
  7. swing — music
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. band — a ring
  10. staff — employees
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — to visit
  14. swing — to play on
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — a stick
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. swing — in golf
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. capital — money
  22. game — a match
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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