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: foot · patient · file · current · cell · bowl · arm · rush

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. rush — hurry
  3. file — a document
  4. foot — a measure
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. file — a line of people
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. current — of water
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. cell — in biology
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. file — a tool
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. cell — a phone
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. current — electric
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. arm — part of the body

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