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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. firm — decided
  4. track — a path
  5. track — to keep track
  6. march — the month
  7. firm — a company
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. rest — a break
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. club — for golf
  14. rest — what's left
  15. march — the month
  16. club — for dancing
  17. march — music
  18. rest — what's left
  19. club — a group
  20. track — a song
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. pitch — completely
  24. fork — in a road

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