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 · season · swing · degree · rash · straw · lie · pop

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. swing — in golf
  3. degree — an amount
  4. pop — soda
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. pop — music
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. pop — to visit
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. swing — music
  11. rash — hasty
  12. lie — to recline
  13. rash — a series
  14. degree — temperature
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. deal — to handle
  17. season — in sport
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. swing — to play on
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. degree — from a university
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. season — of the year
  24. straw — a straw man

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