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: ground · bay · scale · bear · temple · cap · racket · chest

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. cap — a lid
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. chest — of your body
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. cap — a hat
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bear — the animal
  15. chest — of your body
  16. scale — size or range
  17. chest — a box
  18. ground — a position
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. cap — of ice
  21. scale — in music
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. racket — a loud noise

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