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: row · shower · scale · calf · patient · current · mug · fall

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. current — happening now
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. fall — the season
  9. shower — rain
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. row — to paddle
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. mug — to rob
  15. row — a line
  16. fall — to drop
  17. scale — size or range
  18. current — electric
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. fall — to drop
  21. mug — a face
  22. shower — to wash
  23. scale — in music
  24. current — of water

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