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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. track — to keep track
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. charge — in control
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. march — the month
  7. charge — a price
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. march — music
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. prune — to trim
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. track — a song
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. branch — a division
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. prune — to trim
  22. charge — electricity
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. march — the month

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