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: saw · current · rock · court · land · season · bear · can

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. season — in sport
  3. rock — music
  4. court — of law
  5. current — happening now
  6. current — of water
  7. can — a tin
  8. land — a country
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — of the year
  12. court — for sport
  13. saw — the tool
  14. land — to come down
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. rock — a stone
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. land — ground
  19. bear — the animal
  20. current — electric
  21. bear — the animal
  22. saw — the tool
  23. can — a tin
  24. court — of a king

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