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: spring · mouse · bay · saw · lie · season · wound · track

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. track — to keep track
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. wound — an injury
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. track — a path
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. track — a song
  13. season — in sport
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. spring — of water
  16. wound — an injury
  17. spring — the season
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — to recline
  23. spring — a coil
  24. season — to add flavour

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