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: toast · pit · jam · last · spring · temple · capital · leaves

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. capital — a city
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. pit — in a race
  7. spring — the season
  8. toast — bread
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. last — to go on
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. last — final
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. spring — of water
  18. capital — money
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. spring — a coil
  21. last — finally
  22. pit — a hole
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. temple — a place of worship

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