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: date · press · last · current · trunk · kick · patient · wound

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. last — final
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. press — to push
  5. wound — an injury
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. date — the fruit
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. kick — in football
  11. current — of water
  12. press — newspapers
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. last — finally
  16. current — happening now
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. last — to go on
  20. wound — an injury
  21. press — a publisher
  22. current — electric
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. patient — a sick person

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