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: cell · row · track · can · present · mate · degree · spring

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. can — a tin
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. spring — of water
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mate — to breed
  7. present — a gift
  8. row — to paddle
  9. spring — a coil
  10. degree — from a university
  11. degree — an amount
  12. row — a line
  13. present — there
  14. track — a path
  15. cell — a phone
  16. spring — the season
  17. can — a tin
  18. cell — in biology
  19. track — to keep track
  20. can — to be able to
  21. track — a song
  22. mate — a partner
  23. degree — temperature
  24. present — the time now

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