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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. tube — the underground
  3. roll — a cake
  4. kick — in football
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. squash — the sport
  9. roll — a list
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. degree — an amount
  12. squash — to crush
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. degree — temperature
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. wax — to grow
  24. degree — from a university

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