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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. craft — a skill
  3. craft — boats
  4. degree — from a university
  5. track — a song
  6. current — happening now
  7. rash — hasty
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. degree — temperature
  10. track — to keep track
  11. current — electric
  12. rash — a series
  13. current — of water
  14. mate — a partner
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. degree — an amount
  17. mate — to breed
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. mate — a friend
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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