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: bore · patient · degree · bat · snap · cabinet · ground · mark

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. degree — an amount
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bat — the animal
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. mark — a trace
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. mark — a grade
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ground — the earth
  13. degree — temperature
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. snap — to click
  19. ground — a position
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. bore — to tire
  24. degree — from a university

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