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 116 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: bank · court · firm · patient · mine · stick · degree · ruler

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. degree — an amount
  3. firm — steady
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. firm — decided
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bank — of a river
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. court — of a king
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. firm — a company
  13. degree — temperature
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. court — of law
  22. degree — from a university
  23. court — for sport
  24. bank — for money

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