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: pound · pit · degree · perch · key · stand · trunk · pitcher

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. degree — an amount
  4. degree — from a university
  5. key — for a lock
  6. stand — to bear
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pound — a weight
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. key — in music
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. degree — temperature
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. key — the most important part
  22. perch — the fish
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. pound — to hit hard

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