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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. cap — a lid
  5. degree — an amount
  6. bass — low music
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. snap — to click
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bass — the fish
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. scale — in music
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. board — a committee
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. board — to get on
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. degree — from a university
  21. cap — a hat
  22. degree — temperature
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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