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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. track — to keep track
  3. track — a path
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. march — the month
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. firm — a company
  8. wax — to grow
  9. rock — a stone
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. pit — in a race
  14. firm — steady
  15. march — the month
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. march — music
  19. track — a song
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. pit — a hole
  24. firm — decided

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