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 · drill · pound · wound · bound · lash · patient · swing

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. current — electric
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. swing — music
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. bound — obliged
  9. current — happening now
  10. current — of water
  11. bound — tied together
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. swing — to play on
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wound — an injury
  17. swing — in golf
  18. drill — army training
  19. drill — a practice
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. drill — the tool
  23. bound — certain
  24. wound — an injury

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