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 · craft · roll · mine · spring · degree · pitch

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. spring — a coil
  3. mug — a cup
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. roll — a cake
  8. degree — from a university
  9. mine — for digging
  10. craft — boats
  11. roll — a list
  12. degree — an amount
  13. pitch — completely
  14. degree — temperature
  15. spring — of water
  16. spring — the season
  17. swing — music
  18. swing — to play on
  19. swing — in golf
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mug — to rob
  23. craft — a skill
  24. pitch — a sports field

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