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: club · bound · leaves · dip · capital · stem · degree · temple

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. degree — from a university
  3. degree — an amount
  4. bound — certain
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. dip — to sink
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stem — to come from
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bound — tied together
  12. club — for golf
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. capital — money
  15. bound — obliged
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. degree — temperature
  19. capital — a city
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. club — for dancing
  24. club — a group

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