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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. plane — a tool
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. scale — size or range
  7. court — of a king
  8. scale — in music
  9. suit — clothes
  10. file — a document
  11. file — a line of people
  12. pit — a hole
  13. file — a tool
  14. pit — in a race
  15. capital — money
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. court — of law
  20. court — for sport
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. capital — a city
  24. suit — to fit

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