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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. track — to keep track
  3. drill — army training
  4. bat — the animal
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. net — in sport
  10. firm — a company
  11. drill — a practice
  12. net — after costs
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. drill — the tool
  15. firm — steady
  16. firm — decided
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. track — a song
  19. net — for catching
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. present — the time now
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. track — a path
  24. present — there

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