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: capital · calf · mate · file · current · leaves · temple · roll

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. current — happening now
  3. capital — money
  4. mate — to breed
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. file — a line of people
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. current — electric
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. roll — a list
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. mate — a partner
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. file — a tool
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. current — of water
  19. file — a document
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. mate — a friend
  23. roll — a cake
  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