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: staff · jam · leaves · perch · degree · chest · temple · mate

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. mate — a friend
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. staff — employees
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. degree — an amount
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. staff — a stick
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. mate — a partner
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. chest — of your body
  16. degree — temperature
  17. mate — to breed
  18. staff — employees
  19. chest — of your body
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. perch — the fish
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. chest — a box

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