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 · cabinet · patient · pitcher · rush · rash · bass · degree

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. track — a path
  4. degree — from a university
  5. bass — the fish
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. degree — an amount
  8. degree — temperature
  9. bass — low music
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. track — to keep track
  13. rash — a series
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rash — hasty
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. track — a song
  24. pitcher — a jug

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