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 116 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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. rest — what's left
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. track — a song
  5. mate — to breed
  6. net — in sport
  7. mate — a partner
  8. track — to keep track
  9. land — ground
  10. mate — a friend
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. net — for catching
  13. kid — child
  14. kid — to tease
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. track — a path
  19. rest — what's left
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. land — to come down
  22. net — after costs
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. rest — a break

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