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: wind · shower · fan · pass · trunk · degree · rock · bulb

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. rock — music
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. degree — an amount
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. wind — moving air
  9. shower — to wash
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. pass — a permit
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. wind — moving air
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. rock — a stone
  19. degree — from a university
  20. shower — rain
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. degree — temperature

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