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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. current — happening now
  3. degree — from a university
  4. drill — a practice
  5. court — of law
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. game — wild animals
  8. current — electric
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bulb — for light
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. current — of water
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. drill — the tool
  15. degree — an amount
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. court — for sport
  20. game — a match
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. bulb — for light
  23. degree — temperature
  24. court — of a king

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