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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. track — to keep track
  3. chip — to eat
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. track — a path
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — low music
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. wind — moving air
  14. saw — the tool
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. wind — moving air
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. pound — a weight
  20. track — a song
  21. mark — a trace
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. bass — the fish
  24. chip — for betting

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