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: bat · fall · swing · chip · scale · sharp · stem · content

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. swing — music
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. fall — to drop
  6. chip — for betting
  7. stem — to come from
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. swing — to play on
  11. sharp — clever
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. fall — the season
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. scale — size or range
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bat — the animal
  21. chip — to eat
  22. content — happy
  23. content — the amount
  24. scale — in music

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