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

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. degree — from a university
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pop — to visit
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. bear — the animal
  8. degree — an amount
  9. rule — government
  10. rash — hasty
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pop — soda
  14. rash — a series
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rule — a law
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. face — part of the head
  19. face — to point toward
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. face — to confront
  22. degree — temperature
  23. pop — music
  24. drill — a practice

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