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: wind · pass · snap · swing · tear · patient

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. 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. pass — a permit
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. swing — to play on
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. swing — music
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. wind — moving air
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — to rip
  10. tear — from crying
  11. snap — to click
  12. wind — moving air
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. swing — in golf
  18. 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