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: wind · ball · plane · band · swing · perch · rush · squash

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. ball — a dance
  3. perch — the fish
  4. swing — in golf
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. wind — moving air
  7. squash — the sport
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. band — a music group
  11. squash — to crush
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. wind — moving air
  14. ball — a great time
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. swing — music
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. plane — a tool
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. rush — hurry
  24. swing — to play on

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