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: mine · wind · degree · current · dip · race · toast · patient

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. mine — for digging
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. race — a contest
  8. current — of water
  9. degree — from a university
  10. degree — an amount
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. toast — bread
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. current — electric
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. wind — moving air
  20. race — the arms race
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. wind — moving air
  23. race — humankind
  24. current — happening now

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