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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. squash — the sport
  6. chip — to eat
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. squash — to crush
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. degree — temperature
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. current — happening now
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. current — of water
  19. degree — an amount
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. current — electric
  22. snap — to click
  23. chip — for betting
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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