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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. cap — a lid
  4. track — a song
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bank — for money
  9. spring — of water
  10. track — a path
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. bank — of a river
  13. lean — to bend
  14. pound — a weight
  15. spring — a coil
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. perch — the fish
  20. bank — for money
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. lean — thin
  23. cap — a hat
  24. spring — the season

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