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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. rest — a break
  3. court — of a king
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. degree — temperature
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. court — of law
  10. court — for sport
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bark — to shout
  17. degree — from a university
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bulb — for light
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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