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: mug · scale · capital · cue · cold · suit · pop · last

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. pop — to visit
  3. mug — a cup
  4. pop — music
  5. scale — in music
  6. cue — a hint
  7. suit — in cards
  8. pop — soda
  9. last — finally
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. capital — money
  12. last — to go on
  13. mug — a face
  14. last — final
  15. mug — to rob
  16. cue — for pool
  17. suit — clothes
  18. cold — an illness
  19. cue — a signal
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. capital — a city
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. cold — not warm
  24. suit — to fit

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