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: face · prune · kick · row · current · patient · fork · pit

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. face — part of the head
  6. current — of water
  7. face — to point toward
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. face — to confront
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. row — a line
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. row — to paddle
  20. current — electric
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pit — a hole
  23. kick — in football
  24. current — happening now

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