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: tube · stock · patient · can · mouse · degree · clip · spell

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. can — a tin
  3. degree — from a university
  4. degree — temperature
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. tube — the underground
  8. clip — a video
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. can — to be able to
  11. stock — shares
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. spell — a short time
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. clip — to cut
  17. stock — goods
  18. can — a tin
  19. tube — a container
  20. degree — an amount
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — magic
  24. clip — for paper

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