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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. ground — a position
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bat — the animal
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. date — the fruit
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ground — crushed
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. lean — thin
  12. track — to keep track
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. track — a song
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. kid — to tease
  23. kid — child
  24. lean — to bend

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