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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. mate — a partner
  3. object — an aim
  4. key — in music
  5. key — for a lock
  6. mate — to breed
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. last — finally
  9. file — a tool
  10. rock — a stone
  11. key — the most important part
  12. mate — a friend
  13. object — to protest
  14. track — a song
  15. file — a line of people
  16. track — a path
  17. last — to go on
  18. file — a document
  19. object — a thing
  20. bark — to shout
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. last — final
  23. rock — music
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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