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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. degree — from a university
  3. file — a tool
  4. pop — music
  5. file — a line of people
  6. pop — soda
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. chip — to eat
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. file — a document
  14. tube — the underground
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. pop — to visit
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. chip — for betting
  20. degree — temperature
  21. firm — steady
  22. firm — decided
  23. tube — a container
  24. degree — an amount

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