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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. drill — the tool
  5. degree — from a university
  6. swing — music
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. degree — an amount
  9. firm — steady
  10. swing — in golf
  11. hand — help
  12. firm — decided
  13. hand — in cards
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. swing — to play on
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. bore — to tire
  18. drill — a practice
  19. bore — to drill
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. drill — army training
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. firm — a company

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