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: lean · pitch · ground · spring · swing · squash · rash · racket

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. lean — thin
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. squash — to crush
  6. rash — hasty
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. swing — to play on
  11. squash — the sport
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. ground — a position
  14. spring — of water
  15. spring — the season
  16. spring — a coil
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. lean — to bend
  20. swing — in golf
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ground — the earth
  24. rash — a series

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