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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. toast — bread
  3. track — a path
  4. net — in sport
  5. spring — a coil
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. net — for catching
  9. spring — the season
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. file — a line of people
  12. content — the amount
  13. file — a document
  14. content — happy
  15. file — a tool
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. track — a song
  20. craft — a skill
  21. net — after costs
  22. spring — of water
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. content — videos and posts

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