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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. drill — the tool
  4. track — a path
  5. drill — army training
  6. ball — a great time
  7. mug — a face
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. rash — hasty
  10. ball — a dance
  11. cell — in biology
  12. mug — to rob
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. cell — a phone
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. track — to keep track
  17. rash — a series
  18. prune — to trim
  19. mine — for digging
  20. prune — to trim
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. drill — a practice
  24. mug — a cup

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