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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  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. current — happening now
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a path
  5. clip — to cut
  6. key — the most important part
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. bulb — for light
  9. clip — for paper
  10. rash — a series
  11. current — electric
  12. bulb — for light
  13. clip — a video
  14. key — for a lock
  15. track — a song
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. current — of water
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. key — in music
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. rash — hasty
  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