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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. track — a path
  3. file — a line of people
  4. track — a song
  5. track — to keep track
  6. file — a tool
  7. roll — a cake
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. saw — the tool
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. file — a document
  15. roll — a list
  16. mark — a grade
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bass — the fish
  19. mark — a trace
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bass — low music
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. patient — a sick person

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