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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. track — to keep track
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bass — low music
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. track — a song
  12. track — a path
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — a series
  15. bass — the fish
  16. fork — in a road
  17. pound — a weight
  18. face — part of the head
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. face — to point toward
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. calf — a young animal

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