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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. current — happening now
  4. land — ground
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. prune — to trim
  7. mug — a cup
  8. land — a country
  9. foot — a measure
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. content — happy
  12. prune — to trim
  13. mug — a face
  14. face — to confront
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. face — to point toward
  17. land — to come down
  18. content — the amount
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. face — part of the head
  21. mug — to rob
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. current — electric
  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