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: swing · patient · stand · spell · fan · mug · tear · capital

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. swing — in golf
  5. tear — to rip
  6. mug — a cup
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. mug — a face
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. spell — magic
  11. capital — a city
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. swing — to play on
  14. capital — money
  15. spell — a short time
  16. tear — from crying
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. tear — from crying
  20. mug — to rob
  21. stand — to bear
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. swing — music
  24. capital — a big letter

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