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

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. prune — to trim
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. ground — the earth
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. spell — letters
  7. bank — for money
  8. ground — crushed
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. chip — to eat
  11. bank — for money
  12. capital — a city
  13. spell — magic
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. ground — a position
  18. chip — for betting
  19. capital — money
  20. pitch — completely
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bank — of a river

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