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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. track — a song
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. rest — what's left
  6. swing — in golf
  7. last — finally
  8. vault — a safe
  9. last — to go on
  10. swing — music
  11. object — a thing
  12. rest — what's left
  13. last — final
  14. swing — to play on
  15. row — a line
  16. row — to paddle
  17. object — to protest
  18. rest — a break
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. object — an aim
  22. track — to keep track
  23. sharp — clever
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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