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

Word bank: temple · perch · degree · race · deal · safe · bulb · rush

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. degree — an amount
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bulb — for light
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. rush — hurry
  11. degree — temperature
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. race — humankind
  14. race — the arms race
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. deal — to handle
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bulb — for light
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. degree — from a university
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. race — a contest

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