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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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 song
  3. pop — music
  4. roll — a cake
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. drill — the tool
  8. track — a path
  9. charge — electricity
  10. rest — what's left
  11. track — to keep track
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. drill — a practice
  14. mine — for digging
  15. pop — to visit
  16. bat — the animal
  17. charge — in control
  18. drill — army training
  19. roll — a list
  20. rest — what's left
  21. charge — a price
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. rest — a break
  24. pop — soda

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