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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. scale — size or range
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. current — happening now
  7. hand — help
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. net — in sport
  10. field — for sport
  11. field — a subject
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. current — electric
  15. net — after costs
  16. can — to be able to
  17. net — for catching
  18. field — farmland
  19. scale — in music
  20. hand — in cards
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. current — of water
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — a tin

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