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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. face — to point toward
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. mark — a grade
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. track — a song
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. ball — a dance
  13. face — to confront
  14. face — part of the head
  15. prune — to trim
  16. ball — a great time
  17. prune — to trim
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. mark — a trace
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. stem — to come from
  24. track — a path

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