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: stem · rush · capital · nail · bear · temple · bat · lash

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. capital — a city
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. bear — the animal
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. rush — hurry
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. stem — to come from
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. capital — money
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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