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: degree · bore · content · straw · ball · bank · racket · patient

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. content — the amount
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. ball — a dance
  9. bank — of a river
  10. content — happy
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bank — for money
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. degree — an amount
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bank — for money
  19. ball — a great time
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. degree — temperature
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. bore — to drill
  24. degree — from a university

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