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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. club — a group
  3. fine — all right
  4. club — for dancing
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. firm — decided
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. firm — a company
  9. land — ground
  10. rest — a break
  11. track — a path
  12. game — a match
  13. track — to keep track
  14. land — a country
  15. land — to come down
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. firm — steady
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. rest — what's left
  21. fine — high quality
  22. rest — what's left
  23. game — wild animals
  24. club — for golf

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