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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. stand — to bear
  5. roll — a cake
  6. track — a path
  7. track — to keep track
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. mug — a face
  10. wake — a trail
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mug — a cup
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. roll — a list
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. nail — for a hammer

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