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

Word bank: rush · capital · stand · safe · key · shower · snap · court

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. shower — to wash
  3. snap — to click
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. capital — money
  9. court — for sport
  10. key — in music
  11. key — for a lock
  12. rush — hurry
  13. key — the most important part
  14. stand — to bear
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. court — of law
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. capital — a city
  22. shower — rain
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. safe — out of danger

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