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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. degree — from a university
  4. pop — soda
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. degree — temperature
  7. degree — an amount
  8. last — to go on
  9. last — finally
  10. pop — music
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. pop — to visit
  15. bear — the animal
  16. clip — for paper
  17. last — final
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. clip — a video
  20. bear — the animal
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. clip — to cut
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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