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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. degree — from a university
  5. capital — a city
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. object — an aim
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. mate — to breed
  12. object — a thing
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. degree — an amount
  15. capital — money
  16. object — to protest
  17. degree — temperature
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cue — a signal
  20. mate — a partner
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. mate — a friend
  23. cue — for pool
  24. craft — boats

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