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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. track — a song
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. cap — a lid
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. kick — in football
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. key — the most important part
  14. game — wild animals
  15. cap — a hat
  16. track — to keep track
  17. key — in music
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. fork — in a road
  20. key — for a lock
  21. cap — of ice
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. game — a match

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