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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  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. rock — music
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. track — a song
  6. net — after costs
  7. drill — a practice
  8. can — a tin
  9. row — to paddle
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. drill — army training
  12. row — a line
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. net — in sport
  16. rock — a stone
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. can — a tin
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. drill — the tool
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. net — for catching
  23. can — to be able to
  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