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 had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. degree — temperature
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. club — for golf
  5. spell — letters
  6. club — a group
  7. spell — magic
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. fine — high quality
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. cold — not warm
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. toast — bread
  15. spell — a short time
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. degree — an amount
  20. fine — all right
  21. degree — from a university
  22. club — for dancing
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. mine — for digging

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