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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: track · safe · can · stand · pound · cold

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. cold — an illness
  5. can — to be able to
  6. track — to keep track
  7. can — a tin
  8. pound — a weight
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. can — a tin
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. track — a path
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. cold — not warm
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — on your feet

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