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 116 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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. present — the time now
  3. cue — a signal
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. content — the amount
  9. mine — for digging
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mark — a grade
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cue — for pool
  15. content — happy
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. rush — hurry
  19. present — a gift
  20. present — there
  21. degree — an amount
  22. degree — temperature
  23. degree — from a university
  24. rush — a thrill

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