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: leaves · temple · tube · calf · degree · kid · last · safe

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. kid — child
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. degree — from a university
  8. last — to go on
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. tube — the underground
  11. kid — to tease
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. tube — a container
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. last — final
  23. degree — temperature
  24. last — finally

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