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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. field — farmland
  3. spell — magic
  4. pop — to visit
  5. field — a subject
  6. swing — music
  7. firm — decided
  8. object — an aim
  9. track — a path
  10. pop — music
  11. swing — in golf
  12. march — the month
  13. object — to protest
  14. march — the month
  15. spell — letters
  16. march — music
  17. track — a song
  18. firm — steady
  19. swing — to play on
  20. object — a thing
  21. spell — a short time
  22. firm — a company
  23. pop — soda
  24. field — for sport

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