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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — electric
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. race — a contest
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. race — the arms race
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. date — the fruit
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. game — a match
  14. current — of water
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. branch — a division
  22. game — wild animals
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. race — humankind

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