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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: press · wind · ruler · snap · degree · temple

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. 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. wind — to turn a key
  2. snap — to click
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. press — newspapers
  5. wind — moving air
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. wind — moving air
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. degree — temperature
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. press — a publisher
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. press — to push
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. degree — an amount
  18. 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