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: rest · rush · chair · net · temple · lean · capital · staff

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. net — in sport
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. staff — a stick
  7. rest — what's left
  8. lean — thin
  9. capital — a city
  10. staff — employees
  11. rest — a break
  12. net — after costs
  13. rest — what's left
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. lean — to bend
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. chair — a leader
  20. rush — hurry
  21. capital — money
  22. staff — employees
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. net — for catching

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