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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. track — to keep track
  3. wake — a trail
  4. game — wild animals
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. roll — a cake
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. content — the amount
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. game — a match
  15. bank — for money
  16. saw — the tool
  17. club — for golf
  18. club — for dancing
  19. roll — a list
  20. track — a song
  21. track — a path
  22. club — a group
  23. content — happy
  24. content — videos and posts

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