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: swing · toast · pop · perch · firm · rush · degree · chip

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. toast — bread
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. degree — an amount
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. perch — the fish
  9. firm — a company
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. pop — music
  12. firm — decided
  13. swing — in golf
  14. degree — temperature
  15. firm — steady
  16. degree — from a university
  17. pop — to visit
  18. swing — music
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. chip — to eat
  23. pop — soda
  24. chip — for betting

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