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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. mate — a friend
  3. cap — of ice
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. capital — a city
  6. track — a path
  7. cap — a lid
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. track — to keep track
  13. court — of a king
  14. court — of law
  15. court — for sport
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. capital — money
  19. cap — a hat
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mate — to breed
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. straw — a straw man

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