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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. degree — an amount
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. mate — to breed
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. swing — music
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. craft — boats
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. degree — temperature
  13. pound — a weight
  14. degree — from a university
  15. mate — a friend
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. swing — in golf
  18. swing — to play on
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. mate — a partner
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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