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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. tear — from crying
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. mug — to rob
  6. current — happening now
  7. content — happy
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. tear — to rip
  10. mug — a face
  11. content — the amount
  12. rock — a stone
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. rock — music
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. current — electric
  17. board — to get on
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. tear — from crying
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. mug — a cup
  23. current — of water
  24. fork — in a road

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