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 120 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 · swing · pitcher · chip · trunk · shower · perch · drill

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. degree — an amount
  7. chip — for betting
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. chip — to eat
  10. swing — music
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. shower — to wash
  13. drill — a practice
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. swing — in golf
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. swing — to play on
  18. perch — the fish
  19. drill — the tool
  20. drill — army training
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. degree — from a university
  23. degree — temperature
  24. perch — for a bird

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