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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. degree — an amount
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. toast — bread
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. degree — temperature
  8. clip — to cut
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. foot — a measure
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. charge — electricity
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. clip — for paper
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. clip — a video
  21. degree — from a university
  22. charge — a price
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. temple — side of the head

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