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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. spring — the season
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. track — a path
  6. last — finally
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. last — final
  10. spring — a coil
  11. last — to go on
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. hand — in cards
  18. track — a song
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pop — soda
  21. hand — help
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pop — music
  24. spring — of water

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