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: file · patient · rush · wave · wake · hide · current · trunk

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. rush — hurry
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. current — of water
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. file — a line of people
  12. file — a tool
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wake — a trail
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. file — a document
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. current — happening now
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. current — electric
  24. rush — to hurry

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