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 · wind · game · bulb · bay · bowl · pound · mine

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. swing — to play on
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. game — a match
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. wind — moving air
  12. pound — a weight
  13. swing — in golf
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. wind — moving air
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. bulb — for light
  19. game — wild animals
  20. swing — music
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. game — a kind of play

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