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: club · straw · track · mine · pop · roll · firm · date

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. mine — for digging
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. firm — a company
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. pop — to visit
  7. track — to keep track
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. track — a song
  10. roll — a cake
  11. club — for dancing
  12. club — a group
  13. date — the fruit
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. pop — music
  16. roll — a list
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. club — for golf
  20. track — a path
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. pop — soda
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. firm — steady

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