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 · bass · temple · mug · current · stick · cold · wave

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. cold — not warm
  5. capital — money
  6. current — electric
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. bass — the fish
  9. current — of water
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bass — low music
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. cold — an illness
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. mug — to rob
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. mug — a cup
  21. current — happening now
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. mug — a face
  24. capital — a city

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