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: game · wake · saw · rule · swing · present · fine · mug

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a cup
  3. present — a gift
  4. fine — all right
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. present — there
  7. mug — a face
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. swing — to play on
  10. game — a match
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. saw — the tool
  14. game — wild animals
  15. fine — high quality
  16. rule — government
  17. wake — a trail
  18. rule — a law
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. present — the time now
  22. swing — in golf
  23. swing — music
  24. saw — the tool

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