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: bat · mug · current · roll · bass · stick · fan · patient

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. current — electric
  9. current — of water
  10. mug — a face
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mug — to rob
  16. bass — low music
  17. bat — the animal
  18. current — happening now
  19. roll — a cake
  20. bass — the fish
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mug — a cup
  24. fan — to cool the air

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