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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. chest — of your body
  5. charge — a price
  6. land — a country
  7. degree — an amount
  8. saw — the tool
  9. degree — temperature
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. charge — in control
  12. degree — from a university
  13. saw — the tool
  14. scale — size or range
  15. chest — a box
  16. scale — in music
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. land — to come down
  20. charge — electricity
  21. chest — of your body
  22. land — ground
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. pound — a weight

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