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: ground · swing · tube · squash · band · club · lash · rest

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. swing — music
  3. ground — a position
  4. ground — the earth
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. tube — a container
  7. band — a music group
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. club — for dancing
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. swing — to play on
  12. squash — to crush
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. rest — what's left
  16. squash — the sport
  17. band — a ring
  18. swing — in golf
  19. club — a group
  20. club — for golf
  21. rest — what's left
  22. tube — the underground
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. ground — crushed

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