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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. capital — money
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. current — happening now
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. game — a match
  9. track — a path
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. capital — a city
  12. current — electric
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. game — wild animals
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. current — of water
  20. track — a song
  21. snap — to click
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mark — a grade
  24. bay — a horse colour

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