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: plane · tube · face · vault · degree · trunk · dip · pound

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. face — to confront
  4. pound — a weight
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — a container
  10. tube — the underground
  11. degree — an amount
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. degree — from a university
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. face — to point toward
  17. plane — a tool
  18. face — part of the head
  19. degree — temperature
  20. vault — a safe
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. pound — for dogs

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