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: fork · patient · degree · kick · key · snap · hand · club

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. club — for dancing
  3. fork — in a road
  4. degree — an amount
  5. club — for golf
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. kick — in football
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. degree — temperature
  11. degree — from a university
  12. snap — to click
  13. hand — in cards
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. key — for a lock
  16. key — the most important part
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. hand — help
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. club — a group
  22. key — in music
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. patient — a sick person

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