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: club · perch · rush · bowl · swing · roll · fall · spell

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. roll — a cake
  5. spell — a short time
  6. swing — in golf
  7. club — for dancing
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. club — a group
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. perch — the fish
  12. club — for golf
  13. fall — to drop
  14. spell — magic
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. roll — a list
  17. fall — the season
  18. swing — music
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. spell — letters
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. swing — to play on
  23. fall — to drop
  24. rush — hurry

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