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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. snap — to click
  3. capital — a city
  4. tear — to rip
  5. capital — money
  6. pop — to visit
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. current — of water
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. pop — music
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. cue — a hint
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. tear — from crying
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. tear — from crying
  19. current — happening now
  20. pop — soda
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. current — electric
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. cue — a signal

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