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: rush · snap · degree · arm · chip · patient · spell · board

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. board — to get on
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. spell — magic
  8. board — a committee
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. degree — an amount
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. rush — hurry
  13. spell — letters
  14. chip — for betting
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. spell — a short time
  17. degree — temperature
  18. chip — to eat
  19. snap — to click
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. chip — in a computer

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