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: pop · lash · hand · swing · suit · cold · toast · last

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. last — final
  3. pop — soda
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. last — to go on
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. hand — in cards
  8. pop — music
  9. suit — in cards
  10. swing — to play on
  11. toast — bread
  12. pop — to visit
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. cold — not warm
  15. swing — in golf
  16. last — finally
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. suit — clothes
  21. suit — to fit
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. hand — help
  24. cold — an illness

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