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 120 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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. object — a thing
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. object — an aim
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. track — a song
  10. stem — to come from
  11. track — a path
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. object — to protest
  14. snap — to click
  15. kid — child
  16. season — of the year
  17. season — in sport
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. kid — to tease
  24. pitcher — a jug

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