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: chip · hand · bowl · pitcher · straw · patient · board · degree

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. degree — temperature
  10. degree — from a university
  11. hand — help
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. chip — for betting
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. hand — in cards
  16. chip — to eat
  17. board — a committee
  18. degree — an amount
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. board — to get on
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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