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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  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. board — a flat piece
  2. fall — the season
  3. chair — a leader
  4. current — of water
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. current — happening now
  7. bank — of a river
  8. land — to come down
  9. land — a country
  10. fall — to drop
  11. sharp — clever
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. bank — for money
  14. current — electric
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. land — ground
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. board — a committee
  21. fall — to drop
  22. board — to get on
  23. bank — for money
  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