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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  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. lean — to bend
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. object — to protest
  6. cap — a lid
  7. lie — to recline
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — a break
  11. track — a path
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. object — an aim
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. object — a thing
  17. lean — thin
  18. rest — what's left
  19. wound — an injury
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a hat
  23. wound — an injury
  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