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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. cap — a hat
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. degree — from a university
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. lie — to recline
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. spell — a short time
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. spell — letters
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a lid
  14. spell — magic
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. cell — a phone
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bass — the fish
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. cell — in biology
  21. bass — low music
  22. degree — an amount
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. lie — an untruth

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