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: fan · suit · capital · stock · snap · court · fall · bay

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. suit — to fit
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. capital — money
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. stock — goods
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — the season
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. suit — in cards
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. suit — clothes
  17. court — of law
  18. fall — to drop
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. snap — to click
  21. stock — shares
  22. court — for sport
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. court — of a king

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