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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. craft — boats
  3. land — ground
  4. club — for golf
  5. rash — hasty
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. cap — a hat
  9. club — for dancing
  10. rash — a series
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — a country
  13. track — to keep track
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. cap — a lid
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. craft — a skill
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. ball — a dance
  21. track — a song
  22. cap — of ice
  23. ball — a great time
  24. club — a group

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