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

Word bank: hand · wave · degree · sharp · patient · fall · saw · mark

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. fall — to drop
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. hand — help
  6. hand — in cards
  7. mark — a trace
  8. saw — the tool
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. degree — from a university
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. fall — to drop
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. sharp — clever
  17. fall — the season
  18. degree — temperature
  19. mark — a grade
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. degree — an amount
  24. sharp — exactly

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