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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. degree — temperature
  5. scale — in music
  6. craft — boats
  7. rest — a break
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. degree — from a university
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. rest — what's left
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. rest — what's left
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. toast — bread
  17. bark — to shout
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. degree — an amount
  20. craft — a skill
  21. scale — size or range
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. dip — to sink

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