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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. track — a song
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. field — a subject
  5. chip — for betting
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. track — a path
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. track — to keep track
  10. field — for sport
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. firm — a company
  13. prune — to trim
  14. spell — magic
  15. prune — to trim
  16. firm — decided
  17. chip — to eat
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. field — farmland
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. firm — steady
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. spell — letters

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