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 · sharp · game · present · bank · chip · kick · rock

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. swing — to play on
  3. bank — for money
  4. game — wild animals
  5. rock — music
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — of a river
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. swing — in golf
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. sharp — clever
  15. present — a gift
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. chip — to eat
  18. swing — music
  19. present — the time now
  20. kick — in football
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. chip — for betting
  23. rock — a stone
  24. present — there

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