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: temple · vault · capital · craft · bowl · bat · lean · snap

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. capital — a city
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. capital — money
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. craft — a skill
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. craft — boats
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bat — the animal
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lean — thin
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. vault — a safe
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. snap — to click
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. lean — to bend
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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