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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. row — a line
  4. toast — bread
  5. degree — an amount
  6. key — for a lock
  7. key — in music
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. chip — to eat
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. degree — temperature
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. degree — from a university
  17. kid — child
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. kid — to tease
  20. chip — for betting
  21. key — the most important part
  22. row — to paddle
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. chip — in a computer

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