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 120 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: shower · deal · squash · pitcher · firm · foot · swing · rock

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. shower — to wash
  3. foot — a measure
  4. swing — in golf
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. swing — to play on
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. firm — decided
  9. rock — music
  10. firm — steady
  11. swing — music
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. squash — the sport
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. squash — to crush
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. deal — to handle
  21. shower — rain
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rock — a stone
  24. foot — the bottom

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