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 116 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: squash · bark · nail · wound · current · field · patient · bound

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. current — of water
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — obliged
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. current — happening now
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. field — for sport
  12. wound — an injury
  13. squash — to crush
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. field — a subject
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bound — tied together
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. current — electric
  21. bark — to shout
  22. field — farmland
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. squash — the sport

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