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 120 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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. degree — from a university
  4. track — to keep track
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. degree — temperature
  7. tube — a container
  8. track — a path
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. squash — to crush
  14. squash — the sport
  15. craft — boats
  16. degree — an amount
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. rule — a law
  20. rule — government
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. fork — in a road
  23. craft — a skill
  24. tube — the underground

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