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

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. current — happening now
  3. cell — in biology
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. scale — size or range
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. kid — child
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. kid — to tease
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. pound — a weight
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. cell — a phone
  19. current — of water
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  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