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 · lean · tube · roll · content · mine · cabinet · rush

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. roll — a list
  5. mine — for digging
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. lean — to bend
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. content — the amount
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. roll — a cake
  12. content — happy
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. tube — a container
  15. track — to keep track
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. track — a path
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lean — thin
  20. rush — hurry
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. tube — the underground
  24. tube — in a tire

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