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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. tube — the underground
  4. track — a path
  5. track — to keep track
  6. content — happy
  7. current — electric
  8. shower — to wash
  9. cue — a hint
  10. rest — a break
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. rest — what's left
  13. cue — a signal
  14. content — the amount
  15. rest — what's left
  16. current — of water
  17. cue — for pool
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. shower — rain
  20. current — happening now
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. tube — a container

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