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: stem · track · march · pitcher · temple · mouse · bank · degree

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. march — music
  4. degree — an amount
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. track — to keep track
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. march — the month
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bank — for money
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. degree — from a university
  17. track — a path
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. bank — for money
  22. stem — to come from
  23. degree — temperature
  24. march — the month

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