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

Word bank: coach · swing · degree · bass · trunk · temple · rule · perch

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. degree — temperature
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. rule — government
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. perch — the fish
  9. swing — music
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. swing — to play on
  14. rule — a law
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. degree — an amount
  19. bass — the fish
  20. swing — in golf
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bass — low music
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. trunk — of a tree

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