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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. file — a document
  8. drill — a practice
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. current — electric
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. file — a line of people
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. mine — for digging
  18. drill — the tool
  19. drill — army training
  20. current — of water
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. current — happening now
  24. mine — an explosive

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