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: bat · degree · mouse · bound · suit · wave · wax · temple

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. degree — an amount
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bound — certain
  6. suit — in cards
  7. wax — to grow
  8. suit — clothes
  9. suit — to fit
  10. bat — the animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. bound — tied together
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bound — obliged
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. degree — temperature
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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