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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. track — a song
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bore — to drill
  6. fine — all right
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. clip — a video
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. fine — high quality
  11. bore — to tire
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. pitch — completely
  14. clip — for paper
  15. spring — the season
  16. plane — a tool
  17. track — to keep track
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. spring — of water
  21. spring — a coil
  22. rush — hurry
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. clip — to cut

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