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: stand · degree · rock · cell · coach · fork · toast · trunk

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. stand — to bear
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. toast — bread
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. degree — an amount
  12. degree — temperature
  13. degree — from a university
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. fork — in a road
  19. cell — in biology
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — a stone
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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