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: band · capital · pitcher · snap · dip · fall · vault · stick

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. vault — a safe
  3. fall — to drop
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. fall — the season
  9. band — a music group
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. snap — to click
  13. capital — money
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. dip — to sink
  16. band — a ring
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. fall — to drop

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