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 116 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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. mine — for digging
  6. track — a song
  7. net — after costs
  8. rush — hurry
  9. track — to keep track
  10. mate — a friend
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. game — a match
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. mate — a partner
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. track — a path
  20. net — in sport
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. net — for catching
  23. mate — to breed
  24. game — wild animals

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