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: dip · tear · march · chip · swing · capital · bay · fan

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. tear — from crying
  3. dip — to sink
  4. swing — music
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. swing — to play on
  10. swing — in golf
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. march — music
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. march — the month
  15. march — the month
  16. tear — from crying
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. tear — to rip
  21. chip — to eat
  22. capital — money
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. chip — for betting

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