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: roll · swing · band · tube · ball · ground · pass · march

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. swing — in golf
  3. ball — a great time
  4. tube — the underground
  5. march — the month
  6. march — music
  7. march — the month
  8. ball — a dance
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. band — a ring
  11. roll — a list
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. roll — a cake
  14. band — a music group
  15. ground — a position
  16. swing — to play on
  17. tube — a container
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. swing — music
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. ground — the earth
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pass — to succeed

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