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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. bound — tied together
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bound — obliged
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. dip — to sink
  9. rash — hasty
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. can — a tin
  12. track — to keep track
  13. spring — of water
  14. kick — in football
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. spring — the season
  17. spring — a coil
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. bound — certain
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — to be able to
  23. track — a path
  24. rash — a series

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