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 120 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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. tube — the underground
  6. rash — a series
  7. mark — a trace
  8. wake — a trail
  9. track — a song
  10. tube — a container
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. track — to keep track
  13. game — wild animals
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. rash — hasty
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. kick — in football
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. mark — a grade
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. track — a path
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. game — a match

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