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 · spring · court · bound · saw · bass · current · root

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. bound — obliged
  3. spring — of water
  4. root — of a word
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. spring — the season
  7. court — of a king
  8. saw — the tool
  9. court — of law
  10. bound — certain
  11. spring — a coil
  12. saw — the tool
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. current — of water
  16. court — for sport
  17. current — electric
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bound — tied together
  20. root — the cause
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bass — low music
  23. root — of a plant
  24. bass — the instrument

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