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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. band — a music group
  4. current — of water
  5. band — a ring
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. current — electric
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. game — a match
  12. pass — a permit
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. game — wild animals
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stock — shares
  20. stock — goods
  21. mate — a friend
  22. current — happening now
  23. mate — a partner
  24. arm — part of the body

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