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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. race — the arms race
  5. capital — a city
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. capital — money
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. race — humankind
  14. can — to be able to
  15. key — in music
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. key — for a lock
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. can — a tin
  20. race — a contest
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bat — the animal
  24. pass — a permit

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