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: bat · mate · toast · wax · cap · patient · degree · coach

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. mate — to breed
  4. toast — bread
  5. mate — a friend
  6. bat — the animal
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. degree — from a university
  10. cap — a hat
  11. degree — temperature
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. cap — a lid
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — to grow
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. degree — an amount
  23. cap — of ice
  24. mate — a partner

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