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: club · temple · branch · degree · date · fork · can · wound

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. date — the fruit
  3. degree — from a university
  4. degree — an amount
  5. fork — in a road
  6. wound — an injury
  7. club — for dancing
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. branch — a division
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. club — for golf
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. wound — an injury
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. club — a group
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. can — to be able to
  23. degree — temperature
  24. branch — of a bank

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