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: pitcher · track · foot · object · bound · drill · date · toast

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. track — a path
  3. track — a song
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. object — an aim
  8. bound — certain
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. track — to keep track
  12. date — the fruit
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. object — a thing
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. drill — a practice
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. drill — the tool
  19. bound — tied together
  20. toast — bread
  21. drill — army training
  22. bound — obliged
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. object — to protest

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