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 · mate · rush · clip · bowl · chair · wake · row

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. clip — to cut
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. track — a song
  6. chair — a leader
  7. track — to keep track
  8. mate — to breed
  9. row — to paddle
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. clip — for paper
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. clip — a video
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. row — a line
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mate — a friend
  21. wake — a trail
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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