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: rock · firm · content · temple · field · degree · fall · swing

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. field — farmland
  3. rock — a stone
  4. swing — to play on
  5. firm — steady
  6. degree — from a university
  7. content — happy
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — the season
  10. rock — music
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. field — for sport
  14. firm — decided
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. content — the amount
  17. firm — a company
  18. swing — in golf
  19. field — a subject
  20. swing — music
  21. degree — temperature
  22. degree — an amount
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. fall — to drop

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