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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. press — a publisher
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. board — a committee
  7. board — to get on
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. rule — government
  11. row — a line
  12. track — a song
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. row — to paddle
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pound — a weight
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. track — a path
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. press — to push
  22. press — newspapers
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. rule — a law

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