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 120 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 · lie · bass · march · coach · degree · racket · mug

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. swing — in golf
  3. march — the month
  4. degree — temperature
  5. swing — music
  6. march — the month
  7. swing — to play on
  8. lie — to recline
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. mug — a cup
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. degree — an amount
  17. mug — to rob
  18. mug — a face
  19. degree — from a university
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. march — music
  24. bass — the fish

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