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 · cell · cue · bore · squash · trunk · degree · tube

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. cue — a hint
  5. squash — the sport
  6. cue — a signal
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. degree — from a university
  12. degree — an amount
  13. cue — for pool
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. cell — in biology
  16. bore — to tire
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. degree — temperature
  19. bore — to drill
  20. cell — a phone
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. tube — a container
  24. squash — to crush

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