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: can · capital · present · fan · temple · swing · chair · coach

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. can — to be able to
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. present — a gift
  9. capital — a city
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. swing — to play on
  12. can — a tin
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. swing — in golf
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. chair — a leader
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. swing — music
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. can — a tin
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. present — the time now
  24. capital — money

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