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: mug · swing · content · saw · calf · tear · band · date

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. swing — music
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. swing — in golf
  6. mug — to rob
  7. band — a ring
  8. swing — to play on
  9. date — the fruit
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. tear — to rip
  12. content — happy
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — from crying
  15. mug — a cup
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. saw — the tool
  18. band — a music group
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. content — the amount
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. mug — a face
  24. content — videos and posts

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