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: deal · date · tube · game · swing · mouse · stand · spell

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. swing — to play on
  3. tube — the underground
  4. date — the fruit
  5. stand — to bear
  6. game — a match
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. tube — a container
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. spell — a short time
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — to handle
  16. spell — letters
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. swing — in golf
  19. game — wild animals
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. swing — music
  24. spell — magic

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