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: lash · ground · pit · degree · trunk · shower · fork · pass

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. ground — the earth
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. ground — a position
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. shower — to wash
  12. shower — rain
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. degree — from a university
  15. fork — in a road
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. pass — a permit
  18. degree — temperature
  19. pit — a hole
  20. degree — an amount
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. ground — crushed
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. fork — a garden tool

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