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: last · squash · degree · rule · court · trunk · fork · safe

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. squash — to crush
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rule — a law
  7. degree — from a university
  8. court — of law
  9. degree — temperature
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. fork — in a road
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. last — to go on
  16. squash — the sport
  17. court — of a king
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. last — final
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. last — finally
  22. court — for sport
  23. rule — government
  24. degree — an amount

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