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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. march — music
  3. bank — for money
  4. current — electric
  5. squash — the sport
  6. cold — not warm
  7. march — the month
  8. cold — an illness
  9. cue — a signal
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bulb — for light
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. cue — for pool
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bank — for money
  16. cue — a hint
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. current — happening now
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. march — the month
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. squash — to crush
  24. cold — the Cold War

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