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: pit · degree · chip · nail · track · cue · craft · patient

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. cue — for pool
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. degree — from a university
  5. degree — temperature
  6. craft — a skill
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. chip — to eat
  10. track — a song
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. track — a path
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. pit — in a race
  18. track — to keep track
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. cue — a signal
  21. pit — a hole
  22. craft — boats
  23. cue — a hint
  24. chip — for betting

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