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: can · drill · track · bound · temple · capital · leaves · bark

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. track — to keep track
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. capital — a city
  7. capital — money
  8. drill — army training
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. can — to be able to
  11. bound — certain
  12. can — a tin
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. track — a song
  17. drill — the tool
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. bound — tied together
  20. drill — a practice
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. track — a path
  24. can — a tin

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