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 120 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 walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. track — to keep track
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. bound — certain
  6. bound — tied together
  7. pass — a permit
  8. track — a song
  9. file — a document
  10. field — farmland
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. track — a path
  14. file — a tool
  15. game — a match
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. field — a subject
  19. field — for sport
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. game — wild animals
  23. bound — obliged
  24. game — a kind of play

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