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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  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. bowl — to roll
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. row — to paddle
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. degree — from a university
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. tube — a container
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. track — a song
  12. craft — boats
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. degree — an amount
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a path
  17. row — a line
  18. degree — temperature
  19. tube — the underground
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — hurry
  22. craft — a skill
  23. bowl — a dish
  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