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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. track — to keep track
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. swing — in golf
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. track — a song
  9. swing — to play on
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. track — a path
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. swing — music
  14. game — wild animals
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. toast — bread
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. hide — to keep secret

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