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: roll · degree · temple · stem · can · arm · perch · jam

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. degree — an amount
  5. roll — a list
  6. degree — from a university
  7. perch — the fish
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. can — to be able to
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — to come from
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. degree — temperature
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. roll — a cake
  24. jam — a tight spot

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