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 120 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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. track — a song
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. drill — the tool
  6. drill — a practice
  7. board — to get on
  8. track — to keep track
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. saw — the tool
  19. branch — a division
  20. sharp — clever
  21. saw — the tool
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. drill — army training
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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