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 · club · mug · kick · pound · coach · land · pass

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. land — ground
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pass — a permit
  6. club — for golf
  7. club — a group
  8. mug — a face
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. pound — a weight
  11. land — a country
  12. swing — music
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. swing — to play on
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. club — for dancing
  18. swing — in golf
  19. mug — to rob
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. kick — in football
  23. mug — a cup
  24. pass — to spend time

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