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: mark · saw · capital · pitcher · present · temple · deal · lash

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. present — there
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. capital — money
  11. deal — to handle
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. present — the time now
  15. capital — a city
  16. present — a gift
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. saw — the tool
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. mark — a trace
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. mark — a grade

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