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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. object — to protest
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. object — an aim
  5. track — a song
  6. object — a thing
  7. plane — a tool
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. drill — the tool
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. drill — army training
  15. deal — to handle
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. drill — a practice
  18. track — to keep track
  19. sharp — clever
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. bound — certain
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. sharp — with an edge

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