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 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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. file — a tool
  4. club — for dancing
  5. field — for sport
  6. field — farmland
  7. rash — hasty
  8. press — newspapers
  9. club — for golf
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. file — a document
  12. club — a group
  13. rash — a series
  14. track — to keep track
  15. press — to push
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. content — the amount
  18. file — a line of people
  19. track — a path
  20. press — a publisher
  21. vault — a safe
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. content — happy
  24. field — a subject

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