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: degree · lash · patient · rash · pit · scale · lean · stock

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. pit — a hole
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. scale — size or range
  5. pit — in a race
  6. rash — hasty
  7. degree — from a university
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. degree — temperature
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. lean — thin
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. degree — an amount
  17. rash — a series
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stock — goods
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. stock — shares
  22. scale — in music
  23. lean — to bend
  24. stock — a soup base

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