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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. file — a line of people
  3. degree — an amount
  4. track — a song
  5. track — a path
  6. file — a document
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. stock — goods
  10. mark — a trace
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. degree — temperature
  13. kid — to tease
  14. mark — a grade
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — shares
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. file — a tool
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. degree — from a university
  21. kid — child
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. hide — animal skin

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