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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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 — side of the head
  3. track — a song
  4. land — a country
  5. degree — an amount
  6. land — to come down
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. track — a path
  9. march — the month
  10. degree — temperature
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. squash — the sport
  14. track — to keep track
  15. squash — to crush
  16. land — ground
  17. march — music
  18. degree — from a university
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. march — the month
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. date — the fruit
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. squash — the vegetable

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