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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. hand — help
  3. track — a song
  4. perch — the fish
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. track — to keep track
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. wax — to grow
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. hand — in cards
  21. kid — to tease
  22. kid — child
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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