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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. board — a committee
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. degree — from a university
  7. mark — a grade
  8. season — in sport
  9. board — to get on
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. mark — a trace
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. degree — an amount
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. branch — a division
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. fork — in a road
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. season — of the year
  23. degree — temperature
  24. calf — of the leg

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