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: degree · bat · file · perch · season · stick · lie · trunk

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. file — a document
  4. lie — to recline
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. perch — the fish
  7. degree — temperature
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. file — a tool
  10. degree — an amount
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. bat — the animal
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. file — a line of people
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. degree — from a university
  21. season — in sport
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. season — of the year

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