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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. deal — to handle
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. mark — a grade
  5. scale — in music
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — in sport
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. degree — temperature
  15. net — for catching
  16. mark — a trace
  17. branch — a division
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. degree — from a university
  21. degree — an amount
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. scale — size or range
  24. fan — to cool the air

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