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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  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. roll — on a roll
  2. track — a path
  3. pass — a permit
  4. fork — in a road
  5. band — a ring
  6. march — the month
  7. bat — the animal
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. band — a music group
  13. track — to keep track
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. march — the month
  17. sharp — clever
  18. march — music
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. roll — a list
  23. roll — a cake
  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