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: cue · track · degree · spring · temple · firm · content · tear

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. tear — from crying
  3. firm — decided
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. spring — the season
  6. content — the amount
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. spring — a coil
  9. firm — a company
  10. track — a song
  11. cue — for pool
  12. content — happy
  13. firm — steady
  14. tear — to rip
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. degree — temperature
  17. cue — a hint
  18. degree — an amount
  19. track — a path
  20. spring — of water
  21. tear — from crying
  22. cue — a signal
  23. degree — from a university
  24. track — to keep track

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