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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. scale — size or range
  3. track — a path
  4. mug — to rob
  5. track — a song
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mug — a face
  9. craft — boats
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a grade
  13. pound — a weight
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. mug — a cup
  18. cold — not warm
  19. scale — in music
  20. craft — a skill
  21. mark — a trace
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. cold — an illness

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