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: rock · bass · patient · can · track · branch · jam · shower

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. can — a tin
  4. shower — to wash
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. rock — music
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. bass — the fish
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. track — to keep track
  15. track — a path
  16. branch — a division
  17. rock — a stone
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. track — a song
  20. shower — rain
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. can — a tin
  24. bass — low music

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