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: cabinet · hand · spring · shower · lean · current · nail · patient

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. shower — to wash
  3. hand — help
  4. lean — to bend
  5. current — electric
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. spring — a coil
  14. spring — the season
  15. current — happening now
  16. shower — rain
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. current — of water
  19. lean — thin
  20. spring — of water
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. hand — in cards
  24. cabinet — ministers

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