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: plane · current · rock · patient · drill · degree · pop · leaves

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pop — to visit
  3. current — of water
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. drill — army training
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. rock — music
  10. degree — temperature
  11. pop — music
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. degree — an amount
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. current — happening now
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. drill — a practice
  19. degree — from a university
  20. plane — a tool
  21. drill — the tool
  22. current — electric
  23. rock — a stone
  24. patient — a sick person

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