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: degree · chip · straw · cell · patient · foot · rush · pass

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. degree — from a university
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. chip — to eat
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chip — for betting
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pass — a permit
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. cell — a phone
  13. degree — temperature
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. foot — a measure
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. cell — in biology
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. degree — an amount
  22. rush — hurry
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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