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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. dip — to sink
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. mine — for digging
  6. track — a path
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. foot — a measure
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. track — a song
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. sharp — clever
  17. rush — hurry
  18. wake — a trail
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. rush — a thrill

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