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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. capital — a city
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. ball — a dance
  5. mark — a grade
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. squash — to crush
  9. mark — a trace
  10. cell — in biology
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. capital — money
  13. cell — a phone
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. march — the month
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. march — music
  19. squash — the sport
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. march — the month
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. ball — a great time

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