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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. pass — a permit
  4. season — in sport
  5. pound — a weight
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. track — a path
  10. season — of the year
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. spring — the season
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. spring — of water
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. bore — to drill
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. spring — a coil
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. bore — to tire
  24. track — a song

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