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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. mug — to rob
  3. hand — in cards
  4. drill — army training
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. can — a tin
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. can — to be able to
  10. hand — help
  11. degree — temperature
  12. current — electric
  13. drill — the tool
  14. can — a tin
  15. degree — from a university
  16. degree — an amount
  17. mug — a face
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mug — a cup
  21. drill — a practice
  22. current — happening now
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. current — of water

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