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: cabinet · capital · row · vault · snap · content · rule · swing

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. snap — to click
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. capital — money
  6. content — happy
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. rule — a law
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. row — to paddle
  11. content — the amount
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. row — a line
  14. swing — in golf
  15. rule — government
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. capital — a city
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. vault — a safe
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. swing — to play on

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