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: kick · patient · firm · tube · roll · trunk · degree · bulb

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. roll — a list
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. kick — in football
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. tube — a container
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. degree — from a university
  13. tube — the underground
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. firm — a company
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. degree — temperature
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. firm — steady
  23. degree — an amount
  24. firm — decided

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