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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. track — a path
  3. mug — to rob
  4. capital — money
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. rest — a break
  7. rest — what's left
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. capital — a city
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. shower — rain
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. field — for sport
  14. shower — to wash
  15. dip — to sink
  16. rest — what's left
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. track — a song
  19. track — to keep track
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. field — a subject
  22. mug — a cup
  23. field — farmland
  24. capital — a big letter

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