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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. mug — a cup
  3. degree — from a university
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. key — for a lock
  11. lean — to bend
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. plane — a tool
  15. cell — a phone
  16. key — the most important part
  17. degree — temperature
  18. degree — an amount
  19. key — in music
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. perch — the fish
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mug — a face
  24. cell — in biology

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