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: last · degree · tube · wound · temple · mouse · racket · ground

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. degree — temperature
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. tube — the underground
  6. ground — a position
  7. wound — an injury
  8. last — to go on
  9. last — finally
  10. wound — an injury
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. last — final
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. degree — an amount
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. ground — crushed
  21. ground — the earth
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. tube — a container
  24. degree — from a university

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