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: land · chip · arm · pass · trunk · degree · cap · plane

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. cap — a hat
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. plane — a tool
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. land — to come down
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. land — a country
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. cap — a lid
  12. degree — an amount
  13. cap — of ice
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. chip — for betting
  16. land — ground
  17. degree — from a university
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pass — a permit
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. chip — to eat
  24. arm — a part of something

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