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: trunk · vault · lash · degree · rule · bass · net · hand

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. net — for catching
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. degree — an amount
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. degree — temperature
  11. degree — from a university
  12. rule — a law
  13. hand — in cards
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. vault — a safe
  16. hand — help
  17. bass — low music
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. net — after costs
  20. bass — the fish
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. net — in sport
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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