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: rock · ball · swing · roll · coach · season · pop · pass

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. pop — music
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. ball — a great time
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. roll — a list
  10. swing — in golf
  11. pass — a permit
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. rock — music
  15. swing — to play on
  16. season — of the year
  17. swing — music
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. pop — to visit
  21. season — in sport
  22. rock — a stone
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pop — soda

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