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

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. net — after costs
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. press — newspapers
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. roll — a list
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. degree — temperature
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bore — to tire
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. degree — from a university
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. roll — a cake
  16. cell — a phone
  17. game — wild animals
  18. net — in sport
  19. game — a match
  20. net — for catching
  21. press — a publisher
  22. degree — an amount
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. press — to push

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