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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: safe · rock · stem · rest · capital · temple

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — what's left
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. capital — money
  6. rock — music
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rest — a break
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. capital — a city
  17. stem — to come from
  18. capital — a big letter

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