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: mouse · wave · stem · fan · swing · rash · degree · bay

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — hasty
  7. swing — to play on
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. degree — an amount
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. degree — temperature
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. swing — in golf
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. degree — from a university
  23. stem — to come from
  24. wave — of the sea

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