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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. track — a path
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. branch — a division
  5. mine — for digging
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. stand — to bear
  9. wound — an injury
  10. content — happy
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — in music
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. wound — an injury
  17. content — the amount
  18. rush — hurry
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. track — a song
  24. content — videos and posts

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