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: temple · bank · chip · content · wound · mark · stick · degree

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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. degree — an amount
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bank — for money
  7. content — the amount
  8. wound — an injury
  9. degree — temperature
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. degree — from a university
  12. wound — an injury
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — a trace
  16. content — happy
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. chip — to eat
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bank — of a river
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bank — for money

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