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 · charge · cabinet · lie · straw · march · wave · squash

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  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. squash — the sport
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. swing — in golf
  4. march — music
  5. charge — in control
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. swing — to play on
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. march — the month
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. charge — a price
  15. swing — music
  16. lie — to recline
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. charge — electricity
  21. march — the month
  22. squash — to crush
  23. wave — of the sea
  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