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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. row — to paddle
  3. swing — to play on
  4. ground — the earth
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. content — the amount
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. content — happy
  10. staff — employees
  11. swing — music
  12. swing — in golf
  13. staff — employees
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. row — a line
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a path
  18. staff — a stick
  19. band — a music group
  20. band — a ring
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. ground — crushed
  24. track — a song

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