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 124 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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. track — a song
  3. bank — for money
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. spell — a short time
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. track — a path
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. last — final
  10. bass — low music
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bank — for money
  14. last — to go on
  15. wound — an injury
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bass — the fish
  19. spell — magic
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. last — finally
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. bank — of a river
  24. spell — letters

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