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: deal · wound · straw · pit · track · mug · capital · rock

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. mug — to rob
  3. pit — a hole
  4. deal — to handle
  5. pit — in a race
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. capital — money
  8. track — a song
  9. rock — music
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. mug — a cup
  13. wound — an injury
  14. track — a path
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. capital — a city
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. mug — a face

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