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 120 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 · capital · dip · cabinet · drill · key · lie · wave

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. snap — to click
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. key — for a lock
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. capital — money
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. drill — a practice
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. drill — army training
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. key — the most important part
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. dip — to sink
  21. drill — the tool
  22. key — in music
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — to recline

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