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 116 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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. current — of water
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. capital — money
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. swing — music
  10. net — in sport
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. firm — decided
  13. current — happening now
  14. net — for catching
  15. firm — a company
  16. swing — to play on
  17. net — after costs
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. current — electric
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. capital — a city
  23. swing — in golf
  24. patient — a sick person

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