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: bowl · row · kick · lean · scale · net · swing · game

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. lean — to bend
  3. row — a line
  4. game — a match
  5. kick — in football
  6. net — in sport
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. row — to paddle
  13. scale — size or range
  14. swing — in golf
  15. swing — music
  16. net — for catching
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. lean — thin
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. game — wild animals
  21. scale — in music
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. net — after costs
  24. bowl — to roll

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