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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. pit — in a race
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. degree — temperature
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. pit — a hole
  7. ground — a position
  8. ground — the earth
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. current — electric
  13. degree — from a university
  14. shower — to wash
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. ground — crushed
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — of water
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. rush — hurry
  23. degree — an amount
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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