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 · rush · pound · dip · mouse · band · fan · chair

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. chair — a leader
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. rush — hurry
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. dip — to sink
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. pound — a weight
  12. swing — to play on
  13. swing — in golf
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. band — a music group
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. band — a ring
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. swing — music
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. chair — to sit 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