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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. prune — to trim
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. track — a song
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. mark — a grade
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. lie — to recline
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. pound — a weight
  21. fork — in a road
  22. mark — a trace
  23. track — to keep track
  24. pound — to hit hard

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