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 120 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 · land · pitch · mine · cell · bass · last · bound

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. swing — in golf
  3. land — a country
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. swing — to play on
  6. last — to go on
  7. pitch — completely
  8. cell — in biology
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mine — for digging
  11. land — to come down
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. bound — certain
  14. cell — a phone
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. bass — the fish
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. bound — obliged
  21. last — final
  22. swing — music
  23. bound — tied together
  24. land — ground

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