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: patient · rule · straw · cap · degree · bear · saw · wind

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. degree — temperature
  9. degree — from a university
  10. cap — of ice
  11. wind — moving air
  12. degree — an amount
  13. bear — the animal
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. saw — the tool
  16. cap — a lid
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. rule — government
  22. wind — moving air
  23. rule — a law
  24. saw — the tool

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