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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. pop — music
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. pop — to visit
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. pop — soda
  9. can — to be able to
  10. degree — temperature
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. bat — the animal
  13. can — a tin
  14. plane — a tool
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. can — a tin
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. degree — an amount
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. patient — a sick person

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