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: perch · lean · bound · degree · bay · suit · cold · temple

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bound — obliged
  4. cold — an illness
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. degree — temperature
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. degree — an amount
  9. bound — certain
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. perch — the fish
  13. cold — not warm
  14. suit — in cards
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. lean — to bend
  18. suit — clothes
  19. degree — from a university
  20. lean — thin
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. bound — tied together

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