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

Word bank: trunk · scale · fine · degree · season · bank · date · dip

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. degree — temperature
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. bank — for money
  8. dip — to sink
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — high quality
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. scale — in music
  13. season — of the year
  14. degree — from a university
  15. date — the fruit
  16. bank — of a river
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. degree — an amount
  19. bank — for money
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. scale — size or range
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. fine — a penalty

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