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: lie · pitcher · track · file · leaves · land · rock · racket

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. land — to come down
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. track — a song
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. land — a country
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. track — a path
  14. lie — to recline
  15. track — to keep track
  16. file — a document
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. file — a tool
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. file — a line of people
  22. rock — music
  23. land — ground
  24. rock — a stone

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