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: capital · bowl · mine · bank · cue · tear · snap · suit

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. suit — to fit
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. tear — to rip
  7. bank — for money
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. capital — money
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. tear — from crying
  13. snap — to click
  14. suit — clothes
  15. cue — a signal
  16. mine — for digging
  17. cue — a hint
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. cue — for pool
  20. bank — of a river
  21. capital — a city
  22. bank — for money
  23. tear — from crying
  24. capital — a big letter

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