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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. mug — to rob
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. cap — a hat
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. mug — a face
  7. degree — temperature
  8. cap — of ice
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. mug — a cup
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. degree — from a university
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. degree — an amount
  17. swing — music
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. swing — in golf
  20. snap — to click
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. cap — a lid
  23. swing — to play on
  24. patient — a sick person

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