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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. present — a gift
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. degree — from a university
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. degree — an amount
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. degree — temperature
  12. rush — hurry
  13. file — a document
  14. present — there
  15. present — the time now
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. wax — to grow
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. file — a tool
  21. file — a line of people
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. rush — a thrill

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