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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. last — finally
  3. mate — a friend
  4. current — happening now
  5. current — of water
  6. wound — an injury
  7. present — there
  8. club — for dancing
  9. present — the time now
  10. last — to go on
  11. mate — a partner
  12. last — final
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. rest — what's left
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. current — electric
  17. wound — an injury
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — a break
  21. club — for golf
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mate — to breed
  24. club — a group

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