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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. cold — an illness
  3. lie — to recline
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a dance
  6. rock — music
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. rock — a stone
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. mug — a face
  11. mug — to rob
  12. chip — to eat
  13. squash — the sport
  14. track — a song
  15. cold — not warm
  16. track — a path
  17. squash — to crush
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. chip — for betting
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. mug — a cup

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