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 116 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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. net — after costs
  4. current — electric
  5. deal — to handle
  6. rest — a break
  7. rest — what's left
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — of water
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. net — in sport
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. rest — what's left
  14. kid — to tease
  15. net — for catching
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. kid — child
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. cell — in biology
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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