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: game · jam · swing · squash · trunk · mug · drill · saw

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. swing — in golf
  3. drill — the tool
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. mug — a face
  6. squash — the sport
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. game — wild animals
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. game — a match
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. mug — to rob
  16. drill — a practice
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. swing — to play on
  19. swing — music
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. mug — a cup
  23. squash — to crush
  24. trunk — of a tree

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