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: game · ground · can · spring · racket · track · temple · toast

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. can — a tin
  3. toast — bread
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. track — to keep track
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. spring — a coil
  8. ground — crushed
  9. track — a path
  10. ground — the earth
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. ground — a position
  13. spring — of water
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. track — a song
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. can — to be able to
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. game — wild animals
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. can — a tin
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. spring — the season

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