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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. pop — soda
  5. swing — to play on
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. mine — for digging
  10. swing — in golf
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. cold — an illness
  13. degree — an amount
  14. swing — music
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. degree — temperature
  17. wind — moving air
  18. cold — not warm
  19. pop — to visit
  20. degree — from a university
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. wind — moving air
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. ruler — a monarch

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