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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. rule — a law
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. track — a path
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. track — to keep track
  9. rash — a series
  10. rule — government
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. drill — army training
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. drill — a practice
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. mark — a grade
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. drill — the tool
  22. rash — hasty
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. rule — to rule out

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