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

Word bank: mouse · fork · bark · rush · track · capital · race · bass

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. bass — the fish
  3. fork — in a road
  4. track — a path
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bass — low music
  10. race — humankind
  11. track — a song
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. capital — a city
  14. race — the arms race
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. capital — money
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. race — a contest
  21. rush — hurry
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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