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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. march — the month
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. charge — in control
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — hurry
  9. track — a song
  10. march — music
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. march — the month
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. charge — a price
  15. track — a path
  16. mine — for digging
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — what's left
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. charge — electricity
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. rest — a break
  24. lie — to recline

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