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: spring · fan · straw · swing · patient · jam · pitcher · mark

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. swing — music
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. spring — a coil
  7. swing — to play on
  8. mark — a grade
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. swing — in golf
  13. spring — of water
  14. mark — a trace
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. fan — to cool the air

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