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: mouse · row · rock · board · current · wind · patient · fall

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. fall — to drop
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — a stone
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. rock — music
  8. board — a committee
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. current — happening now
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. current — electric
  13. wind — moving air
  14. row — to paddle
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. row — a line
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — the season
  20. wind — moving air
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. current — of water

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