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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. rest — a break
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. scale — in music
  6. rest — what's left
  7. present — the time now
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. present — there
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. present — a gift
  13. bass — low music
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. pit — a hole
  16. toast — bread
  17. rest — what's left
  18. degree — an amount
  19. degree — from a university
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. degree — temperature
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. scale — size or range
  24. pit — in a race

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