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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. track — a path
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. track — to keep track
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bound — obliged
  7. craft — a skill
  8. craft — boats
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. present — there
  11. bound — certain
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bound — tied together
  15. lie — to recline
  16. prune — to trim
  17. track — a song
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. bat — the animal
  21. present — the time now
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. present — a gift

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