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 · swing · plane · stock · hide · degree · saw · dip

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. degree — an amount
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. plane — a tool
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. swing — to play on
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. dip — to sink
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. stock — goods
  14. degree — temperature
  15. swing — music
  16. saw — the tool
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. swing — in golf
  21. degree — from a university
  22. saw — the tool
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. temple — side of the head

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