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 116 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 · scale · wind · pass · rest · spring · spell · band

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. track — a path
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. spell — letters
  6. scale — in music
  7. spring — a coil
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. spell — magic
  10. track — a song
  11. band — a music group
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. wind — moving air
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. track — to keep track
  16. rest — a break
  17. wind — moving air
  18. band — a ring
  19. spring — of water
  20. rest — what's left
  21. spell — a short time
  22. scale — size or range
  23. wind — to turn a key
  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