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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. march — the month
  3. degree — from a university
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. current — happening now
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. current — of water
  17. current — electric
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. degree — temperature
  20. degree — an amount
  21. foot — a measure
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. march — the month
  24. cabinet — ministers

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