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 · fine · sharp · rest · roll · dip · wave

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  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. degree — from a university
  2. rest — what's left
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. rest — a break
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. fine — all right
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. rest — what's left
  10. fine — high quality
  11. roll — a list
  12. dip — to sink
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. roll — a cake
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — clever
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. degree — temperature
  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