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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. bank — for money
  5. chip — for betting
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. march — the month
  8. march — the month
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. chip — to eat
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. can — a tin
  14. capital — a city
  15. bank — for money
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. march — music
  18. snap — to click
  19. can — a tin
  20. capital — money
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. can — to be able to
  24. bank — of a river

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