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 have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. current — electric
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. row — a line
  5. drill — army training
  6. board — a committee
  7. row — to paddle
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. rule — a law
  10. current — happening now
  11. rush — hurry
  12. drill — a practice
  13. rule — government
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. board — to get on
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. drill — the tool
  22. current — of water
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. row — a quarrel

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