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 120 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: suit · swing · stock · lean · wound · capital · press · racket

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. lean — to bend
  3. stock — goods
  4. swing — to play on
  5. capital — a city
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. wound — an injury
  8. stock — shares
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. press — to push
  11. press — a publisher
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. suit — in cards
  14. wound — an injury
  15. suit — to fit
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. suit — clothes
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. swing — in golf
  22. capital — money
  23. press — newspapers
  24. lean — thin

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