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: rash · current · patient · bear · cell · snap · cabinet · bulb

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. current — electric
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bulb — for light
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rash — hasty
  13. cell — in biology
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. cell — a phone
  18. current — happening now
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. rash — a series
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. bulb — for light
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. snap — to click

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