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: pound · toast · patient · ground · perch · current · saw · hand

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. hand — help
  4. saw — the tool
  5. pound — a weight
  6. perch — the fish
  7. current — of water
  8. ground — a position
  9. ground — crushed
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. toast — bread
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. current — electric
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. ground — the earth
  16. current — happening now
  17. saw — the tool
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. hand — in cards
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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