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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. cold — not warm
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. track — a path
  6. cold — an illness
  7. stem — to come from
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. spell — letters
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spell — magic
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. fine — high quality
  19. deal — to handle
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. fine — all right
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. track — a song
  24. racket — for tennis

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