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: racket · rash · saw · fan · stand · season · swing · field

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. swing — in golf
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. season — of the year
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — a series
  10. saw — the tool
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. swing — music
  13. field — a subject
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. stand — to bear
  19. saw — the tool
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. field — farmland
  22. field — for sport
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. season — in sport

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