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: fork · pitch · degree · trunk · bowl · press · bark · cell

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. degree — an amount
  3. cell — a phone
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. pitch — completely
  6. fork — in a road
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. cell — in biology
  12. press — to push
  13. degree — temperature
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. press — a publisher
  16. degree — from a university
  17. bark — to shout
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. press — newspapers
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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