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: club · pop · temple · mouse · mine · present · capital · chip

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. pop — music
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. capital — a city
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. pop — to visit
  8. present — a gift
  9. club — for golf
  10. chip — for betting
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. capital — money
  14. club — for dancing
  15. present — there
  16. present — the time now
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. chip — to eat
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pop — soda
  24. club — a group

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