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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. can — to be able to
  5. can — a tin
  6. bear — the animal
  7. current — of water
  8. can — a tin
  9. shower — to wash
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. wake — a trail
  13. current — happening now
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lean — to bend
  18. current — electric
  19. bear — the animal
  20. shower — rain
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. branch — a division
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. lean — thin

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