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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. bark — to shout
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. band — a music group
  5. season — in sport
  6. band — a ring
  7. charge — in control
  8. charge — a price
  9. bound — tied together
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. stand — to bear
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. bound — certain
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. track — to keep track
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. track — a song
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. season — of the year
  23. mine — for digging
  24. charge — electricity

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