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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. stand — to bear
  5. march — the month
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. sharp — clever
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — a friend
  11. drill — army training
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. degree — from a university
  15. bass — low music
  16. degree — an amount
  17. bass — the fish
  18. drill — a practice
  19. degree — temperature
  20. mate — to breed
  21. march — the month
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. march — music

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