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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. track — a song
  5. lean — to bend
  6. wind — moving air
  7. key — in music
  8. wind — moving air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. key — for a lock
  14. track — a path
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. key — the most important part
  18. squash — the sport
  19. lean — thin
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. squash — to crush

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