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: wake · craft · wound · mine · object · swing · bass · mug

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. swing — in golf
  3. bass — low music
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. craft — a skill
  6. mug — a cup
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. bass — the fish
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. mine — for digging
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — to protest
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. mug — a face
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. wound — an injury
  18. swing — music
  19. wake — a trail
  20. object — a thing
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. wound — an injury
  23. mug — to rob
  24. craft — boats

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