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: clip · rock · pitcher · bark · patient · current · safe · row

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. current — of water
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. row — to paddle
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. current — electric
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rock — a stone
  16. row — a line
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. clip — for paper
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. clip — to cut
  22. clip — a video
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. current — happening now

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