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 · wound · nail · saw · bulb · pound · kick

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wound — an injury
  6. degree — an amount
  7. wound — an injury
  8. saw — the tool
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. degree — from a university
  11. kick — in football
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. saw — the tool
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. degree — temperature
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pound — to hit hard

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