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 116 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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. file — a tool
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bulb — for light
  5. net — for catching
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a trace
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. bulb — for light
  11. degree — from a university
  12. file — a line of people
  13. degree — temperature
  14. rush — hurry
  15. mine — for digging
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. net — after costs
  18. file — a document
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. net — in sport
  21. degree — an amount
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. mine — belonging to me

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