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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. track — a path
  4. lean — to bend
  5. fine — all right
  6. lean — thin
  7. track — to keep track
  8. land — to come down
  9. key — the most important part
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. fine — high quality
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. staff — employees
  14. land — ground
  15. staff — employees
  16. land — a country
  17. content — happy
  18. branch — a division
  19. key — for a lock
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. content — the amount
  22. key — in music
  23. staff — a stick
  24. branch — of a tree

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