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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. perch — the fish
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. capital — money
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. field — a subject
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. field — farmland
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. net — after costs
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — for catching
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bass — low music
  21. field — for sport
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. capital — a city
  24. staff — employees

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