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: safe · present · swing · rash · capital · pass · stock · cap

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. pass — a permit
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. cap — of ice
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. present — a gift
  7. stock — shares
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. present — the time now
  11. capital — a city
  12. swing — in golf
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — to play on
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. capital — money
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. rash — a series
  19. rash — hasty
  20. stock — goods
  21. cap — a lid
  22. present — there
  23. cap — a hat
  24. pass — to succeed

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