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: can · current · swing · patient · press · bay · craft · cold

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. current — electric
  3. current — happening now
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. swing — to play on
  7. swing — music
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. craft — a skill
  10. can — a tin
  11. press — a publisher
  12. cold — an illness
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. can — to be able to
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. current — of water
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. can — a tin
  20. craft — boats
  21. press — newspapers
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. cold — not warm
  24. swing — in golf

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