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: rock · content · pass · cue · mine · kid · stick · capital

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. capital — a city
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. cue — a signal
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. rock — music
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. kid — child
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. mine — for digging
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. kid — to tease
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. content — the amount
  18. rock — a stone
  19. cue — for pool
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. cue — a hint
  23. capital — money
  24. content — happy

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