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 · deal · key · degree · last · pitcher · perch · fan

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  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. pitcher — in baseball
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. last — finally
  4. degree — temperature
  5. key — the most important part
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. last — final
  9. deal — to handle
  10. degree — from a university
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. last — to go on
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. perch — the fish
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. degree — an amount
  20. key — in music
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. key — for a lock
  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