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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. track — a path
  3. prune — to trim
  4. mark — a trace
  5. club — a group
  6. hand — in cards
  7. mark — a grade
  8. pop — to visit
  9. club — for golf
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. pop — soda
  13. stand — to bear
  14. track — a song
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. hand — help
  17. prune — to trim
  18. club — for dancing
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. pop — music
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. track — to keep track
  24. stand — for spectators

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