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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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 — a place of worship
  3. rash — hasty
  4. fork — in a road
  5. stand — to bear
  6. degree — from a university
  7. object — to protest
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. fall — to drop
  10. degree — temperature
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. degree — an amount
  13. fall — the season
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. object — a thing
  18. object — an aim
  19. rash — a series
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. fork — a garden tool

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