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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. cap — a lid
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a dance
  6. file — a line of people
  7. staff — employees
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. file — a tool
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. cap — of ice
  12. capital — a city
  13. hand — in cards
  14. file — a document
  15. cap — a hat
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. capital — money
  18. hand — help
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. staff — employees
  24. ball — a round shape

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