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: spell · mouse · net · swing · stick · chair · vault · wound

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. swing — music
  3. spell — magic
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. net — for catching
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. vault — a safe
  11. wound — an injury
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. spell — a short time
  14. wound — an injury
  15. chair — a leader
  16. net — after costs
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. swing — in golf
  19. net — in sport
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. swing — to play on
  23. spell — letters
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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