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: scale · temple · spring · craft · present · capital · sharp · date

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. scale — in music
  3. capital — a city
  4. date — the fruit
  5. spring — of water
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. present — the time now
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. spring — the season
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. sharp — clever
  14. present — a gift
  15. scale — size or range
  16. spring — a coil
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. present — there
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. craft — boats
  24. temple — side of the head

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