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

Word bank: temple · stem · rush · spring · clip · nail · safe · capital

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. spring — of water
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. spring — the season
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. clip — to cut
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. capital — money
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. rush — hurry
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. capital — a city
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. spring — a coil
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. clip — for paper
  24. stem — to come from

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