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: snap · pop · temple · capital · stand · fork · cap · sharp

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. cap — a hat
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. pop — music
  5. capital — money
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. pop — to visit
  8. capital — a city
  9. cap — a lid
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. fork — in a road
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stand — to bear
  17. pop — soda
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. cap — of ice
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. sharp — clever

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