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 116 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 · chip · wind · clip · mate · capital · can

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. swing — in golf
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. swing — to play on
  5. mate — a friend
  6. suit — to fit
  7. can — to be able to
  8. chip — for betting
  9. swing — music
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a partner
  12. clip — to cut
  13. can — a tin
  14. capital — money
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. clip — a video
  17. wind — moving air
  18. capital — a city
  19. wind — moving air
  20. suit — in cards
  21. clip — for paper
  22. suit — clothes
  23. chip — to eat
  24. can — a tin

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