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: straw · capital · pit · file · pitcher · coach · patient · can

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. can — a tin
  4. pit — a hole
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. file — a document
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. can — a tin
  12. capital — a city
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. file — a line of people
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. file — a tool
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. can — to be able to
  22. capital — money
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. pitcher — a jug

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