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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. key — the most important part
  5. march — the month
  6. swing — in golf
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. content — happy
  13. key — in music
  14. key — for a lock
  15. dip — to sink
  16. swing — music
  17. degree — an amount
  18. march — music
  19. degree — from a university
  20. swing — to play on
  21. march — the month
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. degree — temperature
  24. temple — a place of worship

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