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: mug · stick · bay · race · capital · deal · clip · temple

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. mug — a cup
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. race — the arms race
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mug — to rob
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. deal — to handle
  13. capital — money
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. clip — to cut
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. race — a contest
  18. clip — a video
  19. clip — for paper
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. mug — a face
  22. race — humankind
  23. capital — a city
  24. bay — a horse colour

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