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 120 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: lie · rash · scale · temple · degree · staff · clip · land

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. scale — in music
  6. staff — employees
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. degree — an amount
  9. land — a country
  10. rash — a series
  11. clip — to cut
  12. land — ground
  13. staff — a stick
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. rash — hasty
  17. clip — a video
  18. land — to come down
  19. degree — from a university
  20. clip — for paper
  21. degree — temperature
  22. staff — employees
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rash — on the skin

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