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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. current — electric
  5. mate — a friend
  6. fine — all right
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. present — a gift
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. present — the time now
  13. fine — high quality
  14. current — happening now
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. current — of water
  17. present — there
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. mate — a partner
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — obliged
  22. mate — to breed
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bound — certain

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