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: racket · wound · bass · game · scale · bat · temple · capital

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. scale — size or range
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. game — wild animals
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. capital — a city
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. scale — in music
  13. bass — the fish
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bat — the animal
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. game — a match
  22. capital — money
  23. bass — low music
  24. racket — for tennis

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