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 · capital · cap · stock · can · wake · roll · coach

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. cap — of ice
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — shares
  5. roll — a list
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. snap — to click
  8. roll — a cake
  9. can — to be able to
  10. stock — goods
  11. cap — a lid
  12. capital — money
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. capital — a city
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. can — a tin
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. wake — a trail
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. cap — a hat
  24. can — a tin

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