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: key · leaves · tube · degree · race · trunk · rash · roll

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. degree — from a university
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. key — the most important part
  7. race — humankind
  8. degree — an amount
  9. key — in music
  10. roll — a list
  11. rash — hasty
  12. race — the arms race
  13. degree — temperature
  14. tube — a container
  15. race — a contest
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. rash — a series
  18. key — for a lock
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. tube — the underground
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. tube — in a tire

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