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: capital · temple · pit · ball · rock · court · firm · root

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. court — of law
  6. court — for sport
  7. ball — a great time
  8. pit — in a race
  9. root — of a word
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. root — the cause
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. rock — music
  14. capital — a city
  15. court — of a king
  16. root — of a plant
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. firm — steady
  19. pit — a hole
  20. capital — money
  21. ball — a dance
  22. rock — a stone
  23. firm — a company
  24. firm — decided

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