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 116 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: board · degree · net · patient · saw · fine

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. board — a committee
  5. degree — an amount
  6. fine — all right
  7. net — after costs
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. degree — from a university
  11. board — to get on
  12. net — in sport
  13. degree — temperature
  14. fine — high quality
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. saw — the tool
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. board — a flat piece

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