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 120 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: spell · spring · bank · fall · current · pop · mouse · plane

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. spell — a short time
  3. current — electric
  4. spring — of water
  5. pop — music
  6. spring — the season
  7. spring — a coil
  8. current — happening now
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. pop — soda
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. spell — magic
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. plane — a tool
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — the season
  17. bank — of a river
  18. current — of water
  19. spell — letters
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. bank — for money
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. fall — to drop
  24. pop — to visit

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