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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. spring — the season
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cell — a phone
  8. spring — of water
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. spring — a coil
  11. current — electric
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cell — in biology
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. bulb — for light
  22. current — of water
  23. current — happening now
  24. saw — the tool

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