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: temple · cue · capital · spring · bound · roll · leaves · bank

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. bound — certain
  4. spring — of water
  5. capital — money
  6. roll — a cake
  7. bound — obliged
  8. cue — a signal
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. cue — a hint
  12. bank — of a river
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. capital — a city
  16. spring — the season
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. bank — for money
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. cue — for pool
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bank — for money
  23. spring — a coil
  24. roll — a list

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