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: ruler · temple · spring · craft · wind · pound · pitcher · degree

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. craft — boats
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. spring — a coil
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. wind — moving air
  9. spring — the season
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. degree — from a university
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. craft — a skill
  17. degree — temperature
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. wind — moving air
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. spring — of water
  23. degree — an amount
  24. craft — a handicraft

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