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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  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. degree — an amount
  2. mark — a trace
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. cue — a signal
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. cue — a hint
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. season — of the year
  12. net — in sport
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. toast — bread
  15. degree — temperature
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. mark — a grade
  18. cue — for pool
  19. season — in sport
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. net — for catching
  23. net — after costs
  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