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: trunk · suit · degree · plane · chair · fan · ball · season

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. suit — to fit
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. degree — temperature
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. chair — a leader
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. season — in sport
  10. suit — in cards
  11. ball — a dance
  12. degree — from a university
  13. suit — clothes
  14. plane — a tool
  15. ball — a great time
  16. season — of the year
  17. degree — an amount
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. plane — an aircraft

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