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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. object — to protest
  3. mate — a friend
  4. degree — from a university
  5. ground — a position
  6. object — a thing
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ground — crushed
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. degree — an amount
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. craft — a skill
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. craft — boats
  16. mate — a partner
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. degree — temperature
  20. rock — a stone
  21. ground — the earth
  22. rock — music
  23. mate — to breed
  24. object — an aim

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