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: season · leaves · rush · current · fan · plane · game · track

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. season — in sport
  3. season — of the year
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. plane — a tool
  9. current — of water
  10. current — electric
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. track — to keep track
  13. current — happening now
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. game — wild animals
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. track — a song
  18. rush — hurry
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. game — a match

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