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: track · roll · staff · land · rest · firm · calf · foot

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. land — ground
  3. track — to keep track
  4. land — to come down
  5. land — a country
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. track — a song
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. track — a path
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. rest — a break
  12. firm — a company
  13. rest — what's left
  14. firm — steady
  15. staff — employees
  16. foot — a measure
  17. staff — a stick
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. firm — decided
  20. staff — employees
  21. rest — what's left
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. roll — a list

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