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: shower · track · temple · fine · capital · cap · plane · wax

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a hat
  6. capital — money
  7. track — to keep track
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. plane — a tool
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wax — to grow
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. shower — rain
  14. shower — to wash
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. track — a path
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — high quality
  22. track — a song
  23. capital — a city
  24. temple — a place of worship

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