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: cue · degree · court · leaves · bank · temple · jam · arm

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. degree — from a university
  3. cue — a hint
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. degree — an amount
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. court — for sport
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. cue — for pool
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. degree — temperature
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. court — of a king
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. bank — of a river
  19. court — of law
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. cue — a signal
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. arm — part of the body

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