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 · scale · last · fork · can · track · tear · season

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. can — a tin
  3. fork — in a road
  4. track — to keep track
  5. last — final
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. last — to go on
  8. club — for golf
  9. scale — in music
  10. tear — from crying
  11. club — for dancing
  12. scale — size or range
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. tear — to rip
  15. track — a path
  16. season — in sport
  17. track — a song
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. tear — from crying
  20. last — finally
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. can — a tin
  23. club — a group
  24. can — to be able to

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