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 120 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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. wound — an injury
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. season — in sport
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. stand — to bear
  9. row — to paddle
  10. degree — temperature
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. degree — an amount
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. wound — an injury
  16. season — of the year
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. row — a line
  23. bear — the animal
  24. degree — from a university

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