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: pass · wake · degree · swing · drill · patient · stick · last

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. degree — from a university
  3. drill — a practice
  4. last — finally
  5. degree — temperature
  6. drill — army training
  7. pass — a permit
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. degree — an amount
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. drill — the tool
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. swing — in golf
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. swing — music
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. swing — to play on
  20. last — to go on
  21. last — final
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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