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: degree · trunk · bat · band · bulb · suit · saw · net

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. bulb — for light
  3. net — for catching
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bat — the animal
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. suit — to fit
  11. degree — temperature
  12. degree — an amount
  13. suit — in cards
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. net — after costs
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. net — in sport
  20. bulb — for light
  21. saw — the tool
  22. band — a ring
  23. suit — clothes
  24. band — a music group

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