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 116 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: object · degree · trunk · cabinet · season · pitch · mark · key

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. object — to protest
  3. key — for a lock
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. key — in music
  7. pitch — completely
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. degree — temperature
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. degree — an amount
  14. degree — from a university
  15. key — the most important part
  16. object — a thing
  17. mark — a grade
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. mark — a trace
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. object — an aim
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. season — in sport
  24. trunk — of a car

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