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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  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 — a song
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. tear — from crying
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. tear — from crying
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. rush — hurry
  15. capital — money
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. track — to keep track
  18. tear — to rip
  19. capital — a city
  20. wind — moving air
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. wind — moving air
  23. arm — part of the body
  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