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 116 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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. cap — a hat
  4. row — a line
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. cap — a lid
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. saw — the tool
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. saw — the tool
  17. row — to paddle
  18. stem — to come from
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. current — of water
  21. wax — to grow
  22. current — electric
  23. cap — of ice
  24. current — happening now

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