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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. track — a path
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fine — all right
  5. land — a country
  6. drill — the tool
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. drill — a practice
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ball — a great time
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. deal — to handle
  14. present — a gift
  15. drill — army training
  16. present — there
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. track — a song
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. land — ground
  22. land — to come down
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. present — the time now

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