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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. shower — to wash
  3. fine — high quality
  4. spring — of water
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. spring — a coil
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — electric
  15. current — of water
  16. spring — the season
  17. row — a line
  18. cap — a lid
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. shower — rain
  21. cap — a hat
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. fine — all right
  24. cap — of ice

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