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: saw · cue · bowl · mark · capital · temple · content · land

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. mark — a trace
  4. capital — money
  5. content — the amount
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. land — a country
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. capital — a city
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. cue — for pool
  15. mark — a grade
  16. cue — a signal
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. cue — a hint
  22. land — to come down
  23. content — happy
  24. land — ground

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