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: track · spell · tear · pitcher · hand · stand · swing · fine

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. swing — music
  3. fine — all right
  4. track — to keep track
  5. spell — magic
  6. track — a path
  7. spell — a short time
  8. fine — high quality
  9. tear — to rip
  10. hand — help
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. tear — from crying
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. stand — to bear
  15. track — a song
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. spell — letters
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. swing — to play on
  22. hand — in cards
  23. swing — in golf
  24. stand — on your feet

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