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: mug · mine · spell · cabinet · chair · degree · temple · nail

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. spell — letters
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. degree — temperature
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. mug — a cup
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. spell — magic
  11. mug — a face
  12. mine — for digging
  13. degree — from a university
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. degree — an amount
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. chair — a leader
  20. spell — a short time
  21. mug — to rob
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. nail — on a finger

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