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 120 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: clip · spell · temple · deal · kid · stem · cap · track

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. track — a path
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. kid — child
  8. clip — for paper
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. spell — a short time
  11. track — a song
  12. cap — of ice
  13. spell — letters
  14. deal — to handle
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. clip — to cut
  17. track — to keep track
  18. spell — magic
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — a hat
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. clip — a video
  23. kid — to tease
  24. stem — to come from

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