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 124 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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. lie — to recline
  4. ball — a dance
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. current — electric
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. chair — a leader
  13. fork — in a road
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. current — of water
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. current — happening now
  21. season — in sport
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. season — of the year
  24. fork — a garden 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