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: saw · wave · bank · date · pop · straw · swing · content

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. bank — for money
  5. date — the fruit
  6. saw — the tool
  7. swing — in golf
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. pop — soda
  11. bank — for money
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. swing — music
  14. pop — to visit
  15. pop — music
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. saw — the tool
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. swing — to play on
  21. bank — of a river
  22. content — happy
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. content — videos and posts

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