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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. drill — a practice
  4. track — to keep track
  5. drill — the tool
  6. last — final
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. rash — a series
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. track — a song
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. wax — to grow
  17. drill — army training
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. rash — hasty
  22. last — to go on
  23. last — finally
  24. jam — a tight spot

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