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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. track — to keep track
  4. tube — a container
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. dip — to sink
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. tube — the underground
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. ball — a great time
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. track — a song
  17. spell — magic
  18. ball — a dance
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. track — a path
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. mine — for digging
  23. spell — a short time
  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