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: degree · safe · temple · kid · bat · spring · net · pitcher

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. degree — temperature
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. kid — child
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. spring — a coil
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. degree — an amount
  9. net — after costs
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. net — in sport
  18. spring — the season
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. degree — from a university
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. spring — of water
  23. bat — the animal
  24. kid — to tease

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