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: trunk · dip · cue · degree · board · chest · saw · plane

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. board — a committee
  4. cue — a hint
  5. degree — from a university
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. board — to get on
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. saw — the tool
  13. degree — an amount
  14. saw — the tool
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. cue — a signal
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — a box
  20. chest — of your body
  21. dip — to sink
  22. cue — for pool
  23. degree — temperature
  24. dip — a sauce

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