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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. present — a gift
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. rock — a stone
  5. club — for dancing
  6. track — to keep track
  7. present — there
  8. foot — a measure
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. club — for golf
  11. club — a group
  12. saw — the tool
  13. track — a path
  14. sharp — clever
  15. spring — a coil
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. present — the time now
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. spring — of water
  20. spring — the season
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. rock — music
  23. saw — the tool
  24. sharp — exactly

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