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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. sharp — clever
  3. land — ground
  4. current — of water
  5. track — a song
  6. land — a country
  7. object — an aim
  8. march — the month
  9. mark — a grade
  10. march — music
  11. object — to protest
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. current — happening now
  14. track — a path
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. current — electric
  19. land — to come down
  20. shower — to wash
  21. shower — rain
  22. track — to keep track
  23. march — the month
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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