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: deal · march · bat · present · spell · ground · land · swing

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. present — the time now
  4. swing — music
  5. spell — a short time
  6. ground — the earth
  7. land — ground
  8. present — a gift
  9. bat — the animal
  10. present — there
  11. march — music
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. land — to come down
  14. spell — magic
  15. deal — to handle
  16. ground — a position
  17. land — a country
  18. ground — crushed
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. march — the month
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. march — the month
  23. spell — letters
  24. swing — to play on

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