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 · face · spring · land · vault · mine · cue · mark

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. cue — a hint
  3. land — ground
  4. track — a song
  5. mark — a grade
  6. track — to keep track
  7. face — part of the head
  8. face — to confront
  9. spring — the season
  10. spring — a coil
  11. mine — for digging
  12. face — to point toward
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. track — a path
  18. cue — for pool
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. cue — a signal
  22. vault — a safe
  23. spring — of water
  24. land — a country

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