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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. ball — a dance
  4. bulb — for light
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. degree — an amount
  7. pitch — completely
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. degree — temperature
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bulb — for light
  16. ball — a great time
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. degree — from a university
  19. kid — child
  20. kid — to tease
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. hand — help
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. ball — a round shape

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