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: board · craft · stock · game · cue · patient · clip · current

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  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. cue — a signal
  2. current — happening now
  3. board — a committee
  4. stock — goods
  5. game — wild animals
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. clip — for paper
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. cue — a hint
  10. clip — a video
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. craft — boats
  14. game — a match
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. current — electric
  17. stock — shares
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. craft — a skill
  20. clip — to cut
  21. board — to get on
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. cue — for pool
  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