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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. track — a path
  3. file — a line of people
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. file — a tool
  6. march — the month
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. mark — a trace
  10. file — a document
  11. track — to keep track
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. root — of a word
  14. march — the month
  15. track — a song
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. root — the cause
  19. row — to paddle
  20. mark — a grade
  21. row — a line
  22. root — of a plant
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. stem — to come from

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