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: cap · club · cue · foot · safe · band · capital · straw

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. cue — a signal
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. band — a ring
  5. club — for golf
  6. capital — a city
  7. cap — of ice
  8. club — for dancing
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. cap — a hat
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. band — a music group
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cue — a hint
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. capital — money
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. club — a group
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. foot — a measure

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