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: scale · field · pitcher · degree · lean · temple · chair · wax

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. chair — a leader
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. scale — size or range
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. degree — from a university
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. lean — thin
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. field — farmland
  17. field — for sport
  18. lean — to bend
  19. degree — temperature
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. scale — in music
  22. wax — to grow
  23. field — a subject
  24. pitcher — a jug

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