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 116 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: pop · track · fork · game · plane · mouse · coach · mine

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. track — a song
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. game — wild animals
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. game — a match
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. track — a path
  11. pop — soda
  12. fork — in a road
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. track — to keep track
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. plane — a tool
  19. mine — for digging
  20. pop — music
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. pop — to visit
  24. mine — an explosive

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