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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. degree — from a university
  4. wax — to grow
  5. degree — temperature
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — to bear
  10. bank — for money
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. mark — a trace
  14. bank — of a river
  15. mark — a grade
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. degree — an amount
  24. bank — for money

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