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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bore — to tire
  5. net — after costs
  6. rest — what's left
  7. stand — to bear
  8. staff — employees
  9. net — for catching
  10. staff — employees
  11. degree — an amount
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. bore — to drill
  14. degree — temperature
  15. net — in sport
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bear — the animal
  21. rest — a break
  22. bear — the animal
  23. degree — from a university
  24. rest — what's left

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