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: current · lean · patient · bulb · row · saw · bound · cabinet

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. saw — the tool
  3. current — electric
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. row — to paddle
  8. current — of water
  9. bulb — for light
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bound — certain
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. lean — thin
  14. row — a line
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. saw — the tool
  18. lean — to bend
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bound — obliged
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. current — happening now
  24. bound — tied together

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