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 116 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: press · patient · capital · tube · craft · degree · fan · wave

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. degree — temperature
  5. press — to push
  6. craft — boats
  7. craft — a skill
  8. degree — from a university
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. capital — a city
  12. press — a publisher
  13. press — newspapers
  14. tube — the underground
  15. capital — money
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. degree — an amount
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fan — a supporter

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