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: swing · dip · bat · hand · pitcher · march · temple · stock

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. swing — music
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. swing — in golf
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. march — music
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bat — the animal
  17. march — the month
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. march — the month
  20. stock — shares
  21. stock — goods
  22. hand — help
  23. hand — in cards
  24. swing — to play on

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