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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. mug — to rob
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. ball — a dance
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. capital — a city
  12. ball — a great time
  13. cap — of ice
  14. capital — money
  15. mug — a cup
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. rush — hurry
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. cap — a hat
  22. mug — a face
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. hide — to keep secret

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