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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. degree — temperature
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. rash — hasty
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. snap — to click
  13. pass — a permit
  14. stem — to come from
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. degree — from a university
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. kid — child
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. degree — an amount
  23. kid — to tease
  24. pass — to spend time

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