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: coach · temple · bank · scale · board · degree · cold · game

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — to get on
  4. scale — size or range
  5. game — wild animals
  6. bank — for money
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. game — a match
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. cold — not warm
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. cold — an illness
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bank — for money
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. bank — of a river
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. degree — from a university
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. scale — in music
  24. degree — an amount

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