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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. dip — to sink
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. degree — from a university
  6. spell — magic
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. degree — temperature
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stem — to come from
  12. ground — a position
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. ground — crushed
  17. spell — a short time
  18. snap — to click
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. degree — an amount
  21. foot — a measure
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. spell — letters
  24. ground — the earth

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