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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: patient · roll · nail · content · current · perch

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. current — of water
  4. perch — the fish
  5. roll — a cake
  6. current — happening now
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. current — electric
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. roll — a list
  17. content — the amount
  18. roll — on a roll

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