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 · leaves · temple · bear · clip · capital · mine · track

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. clip — for paper
  3. track — to keep track
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. track — a path
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. mine — for digging
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bear — the animal
  15. clip — to cut
  16. capital — money
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. capital — a city
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bear — the animal
  22. clip — a video
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. track — a song

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