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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. current — electric
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pop — to visit
  5. wind — moving air
  6. pop — soda
  7. club — a group
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. pop — music
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. wind — moving air
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. current — of water
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. current — happening now
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. club — for dancing

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