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: current · patient · saw · land · bank · nail · wound · pass

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  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. current — electric
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. bank — for money
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. saw — the tool
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. bank — of a river
  10. current — of water
  11. wound — an injury
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. land — to come down
  14. pass — a permit
  15. wound — an injury
  16. land — ground
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. bank — for money
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. land — a country
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. saw — the tool
  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