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: temple · pop · ruler · fan · trunk · hide · degree · dip

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. degree — an amount
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. dip — to sink
  12. pop — to visit
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pop — soda
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. degree — from a university
  18. degree — temperature
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. pop — music
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. ruler — a monarch

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