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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. current — happening now
  4. present — a gift
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. track — to keep track
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. pass — a permit
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. current — electric
  13. land — a country
  14. bat — the animal
  15. present — there
  16. track — a song
  17. present — the time now
  18. current — of water
  19. land — to come down
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. land — ground
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. wake — a trail
  24. bat — for baseball

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