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 120 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: pound · mark · degree · patient · drill · current · coach · present

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a grade
  7. degree — an amount
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. present — the time now
  10. drill — the tool
  11. current — electric
  12. drill — a practice
  13. degree — temperature
  14. mark — a trace
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — of water
  17. present — there
  18. present — a gift
  19. pound — a weight
  20. drill — army training
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. coach — a trainer

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