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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. cap — a lid
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. stock — goods
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. fall — to drop
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. fall — the season
  13. fall — to drop
  14. stock — shares
  15. cap — of ice
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. swing — to play on
  19. capital — a city
  20. swing — music
  21. mine — for digging
  22. cap — a hat
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. capital — money

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