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 · current · patient · content · straw · cabinet · shower · wound

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. current — happening now
  4. current — of water
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. wound — an injury
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. current — electric
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. wound — an injury
  18. content — happy
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. shower — rain
  21. content — the amount
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. shower — to wash
  24. patient — a sick person

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