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: sharp · field · firm · present · hide · patient · race · degree

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. firm — a company
  4. present — the time now
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. degree — from a university
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. present — there
  9. field — a subject
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. firm — decided
  12. race — the arms race
  13. sharp — clever
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. field — farmland
  16. degree — an amount
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. present — a gift
  19. firm — steady
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. degree — temperature
  22. race — a contest
  23. field — for sport
  24. hide — to keep secret

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