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: bat · row · hand · leaves · temple · cap · cue · racket

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cue — for pool
  8. row — to paddle
  9. cap — a lid
  10. bat — the animal
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. cap — of ice
  15. hand — in cards
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. cue — a signal
  23. hand — help
  24. temple — a place of worship

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