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 116 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 · bark · cap · degree · ground · ruler · tube · cell

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. degree — from a university
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bark — to shout
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. ground — crushed
  8. ground — a position
  9. degree — temperature
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cell — in biology
  12. cap — a hat
  13. degree — an amount
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. ground — the earth
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. cap — of ice
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. tube — the underground
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. tube — a container
  23. cell — a phone
  24. tube — in a tire

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