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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bulb — for light
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. cell — a phone
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. degree — temperature
  8. rest — a break
  9. scale — size or range
  10. field — for sport
  11. degree — an amount
  12. cell — in biology
  13. scale — in music
  14. rest — what's left
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. bulb — for light
  17. degree — from a university
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. plane — a tool
  22. field — a subject
  23. field — farmland
  24. cell — in a prison

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