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: track · drill · wave · straw · patient · degree · season · fork

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. drill — a practice
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. degree — an amount
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. track — a song
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — of the year
  12. track — to keep track
  13. fork — in a road
  14. drill — the tool
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. degree — temperature
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. drill — army training
  21. degree — from a university
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. season — in sport

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