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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. track — a path
  3. scale — in music
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. track — to keep track
  7. kid — child
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. ball — a great time
  10. rule — a law
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. track — a song
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. hand — in cards
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — help
  19. pass — a permit
  20. rule — government
  21. kid — to tease
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. scale — size or range
  24. ball — a dance

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