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 120 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: stick · tube · wave · lash · racket · shower · patient · degree

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. tube — a container
  4. degree — an amount
  5. degree — temperature
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. shower — to wash
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. tube — the underground
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. degree — from a university
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. shower — rain

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