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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. mark — a grade
  3. present — a gift
  4. present — there
  5. spell — magic
  6. file — a tool
  7. bank — for money
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. file — a line of people
  10. board — to get on
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bank — of a river
  13. file — a document
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. track — a song
  16. spell — letters
  17. mark — a trace
  18. track — to keep track
  19. spell — a short time
  20. present — the time now
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bank — for money
  23. board — a committee
  24. board — a flat piece

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