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: foot · craft · ball · swing · club · pit · bat · cold

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. swing — music
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. ball — a great time
  8. craft — boats
  9. club — for dancing
  10. craft — a skill
  11. cold — an illness
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. cold — not warm
  14. swing — to play on
  15. foot — a measure
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. club — a group
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. club — for golf
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. swing — in golf
  22. ball — a dance
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. cold — the Cold War

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