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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. cold — an illness
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. press — to push
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. rash — hasty
  8. press — a publisher
  9. track — a song
  10. rash — a series
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rule — government
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. press — newspapers
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. track — a path
  18. pass — a permit
  19. stand — to bear
  20. rule — a law
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. cold — not warm

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