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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. track — to keep track
  3. lean — to bend
  4. squash — to crush
  5. chip — for betting
  6. lean — thin
  7. spring — a coil
  8. squash — the sport
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — the most important part
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. rock — a stone
  15. spring — of water
  16. march — the month
  17. rock — music
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. march — the month
  21. key — in music
  22. spring — the season
  23. march — music
  24. track — a path

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