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: rash · wake · racket · temple · stock · capital · safe · wind

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. stock — shares
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. rash — a series
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. capital — money
  11. stock — goods
  12. rash — hasty
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wind — moving air
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. safe — out of danger

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