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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. track — a song
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. spring — the season
  5. row — a line
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. spring — a coil
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. firm — steady
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. season — in sport
  13. season — of the year
  14. firm — a company
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. firm — decided
  17. row — to paddle
  18. rule — a law
  19. spring — of water
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. track — a path
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. rule — government
  24. season — to add flavour

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