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: wax · racket · swing · dip · temple · spell · game · lie

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. spell — magic
  3. swing — in golf
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. spell — letters
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. spell — a short time
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. dip — to sink
  14. game — a match
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. game — wild animals
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. swing — music
  21. wax — to grow
  22. lie — to recline
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — for tennis

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