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

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. board — a committee
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. degree — from a university
  7. content — the amount
  8. pitch — completely
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. degree — temperature
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. content — happy
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. perch — the fish
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. tube — a container
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. tube — the underground
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. degree — an amount
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. board — to get on
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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