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: bulb · cue · bay · sharp · trunk · game · degree · jam

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cue — a signal
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. degree — an amount
  5. game — wild animals
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. game — a match
  9. degree — from a university
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. bulb — for light
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. cue — for pool
  21. degree — temperature
  22. bulb — for light
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. sharp — clever

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