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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. degree — an amount
  4. degree — from a university
  5. degree — temperature
  6. march — music
  7. root — the cause
  8. club — for golf
  9. mark — a grade
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. root — of a plant
  13. root — of a word
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. march — the month
  16. club — for dancing
  17. deal — to handle
  18. march — the month
  19. club — a group
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. hide — to keep secret

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