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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. shower — to wash
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — for catching
  9. degree — from a university
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. degree — temperature
  12. stand — to bear
  13. net — in sport
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. shower — rain
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. degree — an amount
  20. lie — to recline
  21. track — a path
  22. track — a song
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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