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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. track — to keep track
  3. track — a song
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. ball — a great time
  7. mate — to breed
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. mate — a friend
  10. cell — a phone
  11. cell — in biology
  12. firm — decided
  13. clip — to cut
  14. bore — to tire
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ball — a dance
  17. track — a path
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. firm — a company
  20. wake — a trail
  21. clip — a video
  22. firm — steady
  23. clip — for paper
  24. bore — to drill

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