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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  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. vault — in gymnastics
  3. pop — music
  4. track — a path
  5. vault — a safe
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. ground — a position
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. land — to come down
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. pop — soda
  15. land — ground
  16. pop — to visit
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. deal — to handle
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. land — a country
  22. ground — the earth
  23. ground — crushed
  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