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 120 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: content · arm · branch · trunk · degree · lie · cell · ruler

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. branch — a division
  3. content — happy
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. lie — to recline
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. degree — from a university
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. degree — an amount
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. cell — in biology
  21. cell — a phone
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. degree — temperature
  24. arm — part of the body

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