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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. track — to keep track
  3. stem — to come from
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rock — a stone
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. firm — decided
  13. row — to paddle
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. row — a line
  16. mine — for digging
  17. track — a path
  18. track — a song
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. content — happy
  21. content — the amount
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. firm — a company
  24. rock — music

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