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: rush · tear · capital · last · leaves · pop · snap · lean

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. tear — from crying
  3. last — finally
  4. pop — music
  5. pop — soda
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. lean — thin
  8. snap — to click
  9. pop — to visit
  10. last — to go on
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. last — final
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. lean — to bend
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. rush — hurry
  18. tear — from crying
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. capital — a city
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. tear — to rip

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