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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. cue — a signal
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. bank — for money
  5. key — for a lock
  6. snap — to click
  7. cue — for pool
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. key — the most important part
  10. clip — for paper
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. bank — of a river
  13. capital — a city
  14. object — an aim
  15. clip — to cut
  16. key — in music
  17. fall — the season
  18. capital — money
  19. bank — for money
  20. object — a thing
  21. clip — a video
  22. cue — a hint
  23. fall — to drop
  24. object — to protest

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