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: lash · land · track · jam · net · wax · hand · squash

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. track — to keep track
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. track — a song
  7. net — after costs
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. land — to come down
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — to grow
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. squash — the sport
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. net — in sport
  18. squash — to crush
  19. hand — in cards
  20. land — a country
  21. land — ground
  22. track — a path
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. hand — help

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