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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. wound — an injury
  4. face — to confront
  5. track — a path
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. drill — the tool
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. track — to keep track
  11. wound — an injury
  12. stand — to bear
  13. ball — a dance
  14. deal — to handle
  15. drill — a practice
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. face — to point toward
  18. drill — army training
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. row — to paddle
  22. row — a line
  23. face — part of the head
  24. track — a song

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