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 · mark · lean · bat · pitcher · spell · net · spring

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. bat — the animal
  4. spring — the season
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. track — a song
  9. spring — of water
  10. mark — a trace
  11. track — to keep track
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. net — for catching
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — a short time
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. track — a path
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. net — in sport
  20. lean — thin
  21. mark — a grade
  22. net — after costs
  23. lean — to bend
  24. spring — a coil

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