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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. charge — in control
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. can — to be able to
  5. march — the month
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. roll — a list
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. march — the month
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. track — a path
  12. race — humankind
  13. can — a tin
  14. race — a contest
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — electricity
  17. march — music
  18. can — a tin
  19. track — a song
  20. roll — a cake
  21. wax — to grow
  22. race — the arms race
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. coach — a trainer

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