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: land · craft · mate · season · spring · file · can · rock

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. file — a document
  4. land — to come down
  5. file — a line of people
  6. spring — the season
  7. craft — boats
  8. craft — a skill
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. season — of the year
  11. land — ground
  12. mate — to breed
  13. land — a country
  14. can — a tin
  15. spring — of water
  16. can — to be able to
  17. mate — a partner
  18. spring — a coil
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. season — in sport
  21. mate — a friend
  22. rock — music
  23. can — a tin
  24. rock — a stone

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