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 116 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: current · rock · mate · track · spring · rest · fall · can

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. rock — music
  4. rest — a break
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mate — a partner
  7. fall — to drop
  8. current — electric
  9. can — a tin
  10. track — a path
  11. spring — of water
  12. spring — the season
  13. current — of water
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. track — to keep track
  17. mate — a friend
  18. rest — what's left
  19. current — happening now
  20. rest — what's left
  21. track — a song
  22. fall — the season
  23. spring — a coil
  24. fall — to drop

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