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 120 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: season · pound · suit · mark · row · current · vault · patient

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. mark — a grade
  3. current — of water
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. season — of the year
  6. mark — a trace
  7. suit — in cards
  8. suit — to fit
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. vault — a safe
  11. season — in sport
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. row — to paddle
  15. current — electric
  16. current — happening now
  17. row — a line
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pound — a weight
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. suit — clothes
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. pound — for dogs

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