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 116 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 water is too ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. cold — not warm
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. cold — an illness
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. branch — a division
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. firm — decided
  11. wind — moving air
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. club — a group
  14. firm — steady
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wind — moving air
  18. firm — a company
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. club — for golf
  21. track — a song
  22. rush — hurry
  23. club — for dancing
  24. track — a path

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