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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. cap — a lid
  3. track — a song
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. content — happy
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. track — a path
  10. cell — a phone
  11. field — for sport
  12. content — the amount
  13. field — farmland
  14. degree — an amount
  15. degree — temperature
  16. field — a subject
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. cell — in biology
  20. fine — all right
  21. degree — from a university
  22. cap — of ice
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fan — a supporter

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