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

Word bank: coach · shower · pop · clip · hide · current · squash · patient

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. pop — to visit
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pop — soda
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. shower — rain
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. current — happening now
  11. squash — the sport
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. clip — for paper
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. shower — to wash
  17. pop — music
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. squash — to crush
  20. clip — a video
  21. clip — to cut
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. current — electric

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