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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. club — a group
  5. track — a song
  6. land — ground
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. club — for golf
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. land — a country
  14. rock — music
  15. land — to come down
  16. present — there
  17. present — the time now
  18. present — a gift
  19. track — to keep track
  20. rock — a stone
  21. track — a path
  22. kid — to tease
  23. kid — child
  24. sharp — clever

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