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: mug · net · temple · sharp · capital · shower · root · tube

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. root — of a plant
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. shower — to wash
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. capital — money
  7. mug — a cup
  8. net — in sport
  9. shower — rain
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. tube — the underground
  12. capital — a city
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. mug — to rob
  16. mug — a face
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. net — for catching
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. sharp — clever
  22. root — the cause
  23. net — after costs
  24. root — of a word

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