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: dip · degree · rock · chest · lie · stand · patient · row

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. degree — an amount
  4. rock — music
  5. chest — of your body
  6. degree — temperature
  7. chest — of your body
  8. degree — from a university
  9. row — a line
  10. dip — to sink
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. chest — a box
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. stand — to bear
  19. rock — a stone
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. row — to paddle
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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