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: date · toast · degree · row · fork · trunk · stand · mark

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. row — to paddle
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. toast — bread
  5. mark — a grade
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — the fruit
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. mark — a trace
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. row — a line
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. degree — an amount
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. stand — to bear
  19. degree — from a university
  20. degree — temperature
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. fork — in a road
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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