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 · staff · present · rush · temple · bay · stock · squash

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. capital — money
  3. rush — hurry
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. capital — a city
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. present — a gift
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. staff — a stick
  11. staff — employees
  12. present — the time now
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. present — there
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. squash — the sport
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. staff — employees
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. stock — shares
  22. stock — goods
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. squash — to crush

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