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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. cap — a lid
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. spring — the season
  5. cap — of ice
  6. wax — to grow
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pitch — completely
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. bank — for money
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bank — of a river
  13. cold — an illness
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. spring — of water
  16. current — of water
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cold — not warm
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. current — electric
  22. current — happening now
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. spring — a coil

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