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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. present — a gift
  3. degree — from a university
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. lie — to recline
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. present — there
  8. file — a line of people
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. file — a document
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. present — the time now
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. stand — to bear
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. degree — an amount
  22. file — a tool
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. degree — temperature

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