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 · rest · racket · capital · rash · root · bank · roll

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. rest — what's left
  4. capital — a city
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. root — of a plant
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bank — of a river
  10. roll — a list
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — for money
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. root — of a word
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. rest — a break
  17. rash — hasty
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. capital — money
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rash — a series
  23. roll — a cake
  24. root — the cause

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