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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. firm — a company
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. root — the cause
  7. track — a song
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. clip — a video
  10. clip — for paper
  11. firm — decided
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. track — a path
  14. fall — to drop
  15. clip — to cut
  16. mug — a cup
  17. root — of a word
  18. firm — steady
  19. fall — to drop
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mug — a face
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. root — of a plant
  24. fall — the season

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