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 · vault · cue · net · pop · bank · degree · wind

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. net — after costs
  3. cue — for pool
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. degree — from a university
  6. cue — a hint
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. pop — soda
  9. bank — for money
  10. degree — an amount
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. pop — music
  13. degree — temperature
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. cue — a signal
  16. wind — moving air
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — in sport
  19. bank — for money
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. pop — to visit
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. bank — of a river
  24. vault — a safe

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