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: bulb · nail · cold · foot · temple · patient · current · fan

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. current — electric
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. foot — a measure
  5. cold — not warm
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bulb — for light
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. current — of water
  15. cold — an illness
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. current — happening now
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. nail — on a finger
  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