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: kick · content · swing · chair · band · land · arm · kid

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  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. swing — in golf
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. land — a country
  4. swing — music
  5. kid — child
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. land — to come down
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a ring
  11. content — the amount
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. kick — in football
  14. chair — a leader
  15. kid — to tease
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. swing — to play on
  23. content — happy
  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