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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. firm — a company
  3. track — a song
  4. game — wild animals
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. track — a path
  8. cold — not warm
  9. game — a match
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. face — part of the head
  12. firm — steady
  13. face — to confront
  14. face — to point toward
  15. fork — in a road
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. cold — an illness
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. pitch — completely
  22. stand — to bear
  23. firm — decided
  24. fork — to eat with

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