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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. scale — in music
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bear — the animal
  5. rush — hurry
  6. scale — size or range
  7. can — a tin
  8. file — a tool
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. current — happening now
  12. can — a tin
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. current — of water
  18. file — a line of people
  19. bear — the animal
  20. file — a document
  21. can — to be able to
  22. current — electric
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stem — of a plant

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