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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. lie — to recline
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. vault — a safe
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. root — of a plant
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. degree — an amount
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. root — of a word
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. bear — the animal
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. root — the cause
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. degree — temperature
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bear — the animal

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