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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. pound — a weight
  7. last — to go on
  8. field — for sport
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. degree — temperature
  11. object — a thing
  12. roll — a list
  13. roll — a cake
  14. field — a subject
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. degree — from a university
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. last — finally
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. last — final
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. object — an aim
  23. degree — an amount
  24. object — to protest

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