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: bulb · pop · file · bound · current · patient · spring · lean

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. file — a tool
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. bulb — for light
  6. current — of water
  7. bound — tied together
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. current — electric
  11. lean — to bend
  12. bulb — for light
  13. current — happening now
  14. pop — soda
  15. lean — thin
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. spring — a coil
  18. file — a document
  19. bound — certain
  20. spring — of water
  21. spring — the season
  22. pop — to visit
  23. file — a line of people
  24. bound — obliged

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