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: degree · trunk · patient · bowl · rash · root · fork · sharp

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. sharp — clever
  3. degree — from a university
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. degree — temperature
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. root — the cause
  9. rash — hasty
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. rash — a series
  13. root — of a plant
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. degree — an amount
  19. fork — in a road
  20. root — of a word
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. patient — a sick person

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