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: can · wake · bank · fall · branch · saw · leaves · current

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. bank — for money
  5. current — of water
  6. bank — of a river
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. bank — for money
  9. current — happening now
  10. branch — a division
  11. saw — the tool
  12. fall — to drop
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. current — electric
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. fall — to drop
  17. wake — a trail
  18. can — a tin
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. fall — the season
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. saw — the tool

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