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 120 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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. current — electric
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. wound — an injury
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. wound — an injury
  8. rest — what's left
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. march — music
  11. game — a match
  12. mark — a grade
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. rest — a break
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. march — the month
  20. current — happening now
  21. game — wild animals
  22. march — the month
  23. current — of water
  24. mark — a trace

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