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

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. can — a tin
  3. wind — moving air
  4. prune — to trim
  5. current — of water
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. can — a tin
  8. current — happening now
  9. shower — rain
  10. wind — moving air
  11. track — to keep track
  12. current — electric
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. track — a path
  15. wake — a trail
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. bank — for money
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. track — a song
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. bank — of a river
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bank — for money
  24. can — to be able to

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