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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. pit — a hole
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. capital — a city
  6. pop — soda
  7. capital — money
  8. degree — from a university
  9. degree — an amount
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. track — a song
  13. pop — music
  14. track — to keep track
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. degree — temperature
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pop — to visit
  23. bark — to shout
  24. pit — in a race

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