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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. track — to keep track
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. degree — an amount
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. degree — from a university
  8. stand — to bear
  9. board — to get on
  10. rash — a series
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. degree — temperature
  13. rash — hasty
  14. season — of the year
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. board — a committee
  18. season — in sport
  19. ball — a dance
  20. ball — a great time
  21. track — a path
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. bore — to tire
  24. ball — a round shape

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