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 · land · stock · swing · perch · cue · bound · sharp

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  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. swing — in golf
  2. track — a song
  3. perch — the fish
  4. cue — a hint
  5. land — to come down
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. bound — obliged
  8. stock — shares
  9. bound — certain
  10. stock — goods
  11. land — ground
  12. swing — to play on
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bound — tied together
  16. swing — music
  17. sharp — clever
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. cue — for pool
  21. track — a path
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. track — to keep track
  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