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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. current — electric
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. kid — child
  7. current — happening now
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. pop — to visit
  11. kid — to tease
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — in music
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pop — soda
  18. current — of water
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. season — in sport
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pop — music
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. scale — for weighing

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