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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. swing — to play on
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. rush — hurry
  5. current — electric
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. current — of water
  9. capital — money
  10. current — happening now
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. capital — a city
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. track — a song
  17. track — a path
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. swing — music
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. swing — in golf

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