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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. wake — a trail
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. court — of law
  5. court — for sport
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. track — a path
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mark — a trace
  10. drill — army training
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a song
  14. rest — what's left
  15. mark — a grade
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mine — for digging
  19. drill — a practice
  20. court — of a king
  21. pitch — completely
  22. rest — a break
  23. rest — what's left
  24. mark — to pay attention

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